


the queen of hearts ⌈ chishiya shuntaro/reader ⌋

by booksandhoneymilktea



Category: Alice in Borderland, aib, 今際の国のアリス | Imawa no Kuni no Alice | Alice in Borderland (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Manga Spoilers, Violence, netflix show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:29:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 123,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28992207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksandhoneymilktea/pseuds/booksandhoneymilktea
Summary: “you’re the only heart i want to learn more about.”
Relationships: Chishiya Shuntaro/Reader, Chishiya x reader - Relationship, chishiya shuntaro x reader, chishiya/reader
Comments: 111
Kudos: 183





	1. before the borderlands

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

surprised was definitely an understatement to describe the feeling you felt looking up and seeing a stranger sitting in a spot that's been empty almost the entirety of the first quarter. you knew someone was supposed to sit there, seats were assigned after all. however, after spending weeks with the empty seat beside you, you had assumed that whoever was supposed to sit there had dropped out and the teacher simply forgot to announce it. yet here you were, with the mystery student revealed to be a blonde male leaning back in his chair right beside you with his hands stuffed in his hoodie. he hadn't said anything yet. no introduction or explanation as to where he's been this entire time. not even a question as to what was happening during this class period. either he already knew, or he simply didn't care. either way, you chose to ignore his presence, more preoccupied on the fact that there was a test today and you'd rather spend the first few minutes left before class starts to review notes. introductions could come later. 

however it seemed as the newcomer had different plans. you could practically feel his eyes on you, the gaze sending chills throughout your entire body. you settled your own gaze to rest on him, surprised to find such a mischievous glint in his half lidded eyes. more chills ran down your body, alarms ringing in your head telling you to stay far away from this man. however, despite your brain telling you that he was not to be trusted, you couldn't help but be curious about him, wanting to figure out what he was like and what his intentions were. 

his eyes remained on you for another second before he glanced down to your notes. he didn't seem surprised to see the writing, so it must mean he did know that there was a test today, and was most likely the reason for his sudden appearance. his eyes flickered up to yours once more before looking away, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a smirk. 

you narrowed your eyes at him, wondering what he found so amusing and was about to ask before the professor began to speak.

"good morning class. as you all know there is a test today. this will be worth 45% of your grade. papers are being handed out as we speak. while that's being done, i'll be taking attendance. please let me know that you're present once your name is called." with that he began calling out names, the sound of students saying "here!" and the rustling of papers filling the classroom. 

once acquiring your test paper, you turned to hand the stack to the male next to you. this time you weren't surprised to find his eyes already on you, one hand out of his pocket to grasp the papers you handed to him. still he hadn't said anything, grabbing one for his own before continuing the cycle. your eyes remained on him until you heard the professor call out your name, you tearing your eyes away to let him know that you are present. right after he called out the next name, his face and voice changed to fit someone who has said this name multiple times before without reply, knowing this time will be no different and expecting the same outcome.

"chishiya shuntaro-"

"here." everyone in the classroom, including you, turned to look at the monotone voice that had uttered that word. the professors face along with the rest of the students painted that of surprise, so used to hearing silence for so long. so upon hearing someone actually answer, finally having a face to this name, everyone was shocked. the male however, now revealed as chishiya, only quirked up his mouth in another smirk, once again shifting his eyes to you, almost like he wanted to know your reaction to this, trying to figure out what you thought of everything. you flashed him a small smile in greeting, eyes settling back to your test paper. 

your professor cleared his throat, marking chishiya as present before continuing on with attendance. everyone else dropped their gaze on chishiya as well, their curiosity satisfied. 

as attendance continued, once again your silence was interrupted by the same voice that had spoken mere seconds before. 

"hey, do you have a pencil?" it was now that you noticed that chishiya lacked any sort of school supplies, including a backpack. it seemed you underestimated the males lack of interest in school. based on his relaxed state, you knew him accidentally leaving his things at his place wasn't the case. it seemed like this happened often, and on purpose too. how he made it this far without anything, you were still trying to figure out. 

"if you knew there was a test today, why'd you forget something as basic as a pencil?" you asked, leaning down towards your backpack regardless and finding the utensil. 

he seemed surprised at this, but he quickly masked the emotion with another one of his smirks. "you figured that out pretty quickly."

this time is was your turn to smile. "well i'm not majoring in psychology for nothing." 

he took the pencil extended out from you, fingers brushing against yours. "i was here the first day, but things were boring so i stopped coming unless it was for tests."

you raised an eyebrow at this. "you speak as if you think you're too clever for this class."

"i don't think i'm too clever for this class, i know i'm too clever." his smirk widens, eyes never wavering from yours to let you know that he was serious. 

and you believed him. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

10 minutes later and you had finished your test. your professor wasn't surprised, well known in the fact that your reading capabilities allowed you to read at a faster rate than everybody else and therefore complete assignments and tests quicker than other students. your classmates were also aware of this fact. so no one was surprised to see you stand up and hand in your test before the halfway mark. everyone but chishiya that is. as you made your way back to your seat to gather your belongings, chishiya was surprised, as well as pleased, to see how quickly you had finished. and based on your earlier interaction, he had no doubt that you passed with flying marks. 

slinging your bag over your shoulder, your eyes met chishiya's for the uteempth time that morning. you gave him another soft smile and wave before turning and walking out of the classroom. chishiya watched your figure disappear behind the door, not able to tear his eyes away from you. despite having met you just today, he already wanted to know more. not just because of your intelligence, although that was a big deciding factor in his interest in you. he couldn't explain it, but something about you made him want to know just what made you so amusing.

maybe showing up to class wasn't such a bad idea. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

seeing the male for the first time yesterday was shocking enough. so imagine your surprise to see him once again the next class period, sitting in his seat like he's sat there all quarter. upon seeing you arrive he removed one hand from his hoodie pocket, giving you a lazy wave. 

stunned, you just give a quick nod and an unsure wave back, taking your seat. you narrow your eyes at him, your gaze unwavering as you try to figure out if this was real and you didn't dream up the hot guy from last class to appear again. 

"you know there's not a test today right?" you ask, unsure if whatever inside source chishiya had in order to know there was a test yesterday failed to let him know that there was in fact none today, not even a makeup test. 

chishiya just laughed, making your confusion grow. "i'm aware." when you continued to look at him strangely chishiya began to explain himself. "i just wanted to know what i got on my test. see if i passed even without showing up to class."

this time it was your turn to laugh. if there was anything you had learned about chishiya in the past 24 hours was that this man was cocky. "i'm sure you know you passed."

the blonde smiled, no longer surprised at how you were able to read through his intentions, "we've only known each other for a day and you've already got me all figured out."

but that was where chishiya was wrong. no matter how much you analyzed him and how much you interacted with him, you really knew nothing about the man. if anything, the more you figured out the more questions that arose. 

before you knew it attendance passed and test papers had been handed out. your mouth quirked you in a small smile at seeing the perfect score you had obtained, mentally patting yourself on the back. chishiya leaned over to also take a look at your test score, amused at the fact that he had been right about your intelligence. 

"impressive." you looked up to meet his eyes, no longer staring at your paper but at you. his gaze held no malice, letting you know that his compliment was genuine. 

you smiled warmly at him. "thanks. what'd you get?" you leaned over to get a better look at his own score, surprise etching it's way onto your face upon seeing the marked number. "huh, i guess you really are clever to get a score like that."

chishiya shrugged, but his smile never left his face, "told you."

soon after class began, your professors voice as monotone as ever. even you found yourself dozing off only 15 minutes into the lecture, pencil scribbling mindless shapes into your notebook. you also took note in the blondes boredom beside you, hoodie now resting atop his head as he leaned forward to rest on his arms. if you didn't know any better, you'd think he had fallen asleep. however that was not the case since the male made his inner thoughts known to whoever was close enough to hear. you had to admit though. the smart ass was funny, and it was getting harder and harder to suppress the giggles threatening to fall from your lips. 

you were no longer surprised to see the male show up to class after that, the both of you quickly becoming friends. you grew to love the greetings in the mornings before class and the easy banter the two of you shared during lectures to cure your boredom. you guys even exchanged numbers, texting during the late nights and playing games together. it was a friendship that you cherished, and everyday you thank chishiya in your mind for showing up to class that day. 

today was no different as you spotted chishiya in his chair, the two of you quickly engaging in a conversation as you waited for your professor to show up. once those 15 minutes has passed and your professor finally arrived, apologizing for being late before starting the class. your boredom was beginning to show another 15 minutes later, chishiya taking note of that fact. 

he leaned over to whisper in your ear "wanna ditch class?"

you startled, surprised that he had even suggested the idea. your surprise most definitely did not occur because of how close he was and how good his breath had felt against your skin.

"ditch? are you crazy?" you whisper, unintentionally reaching a hand up to the ear he had whispered in. the skin felt hot under your touch. 

chishiya rolled his eyes "come on. he won't even notice we're gone."

you look away from his eyes because you know if you continue to stare into them you'd give in. you rolled the idea around in your head. for one you were bored and technically you could still pass the class without needing to show up. you look back at chishiya to see him still staring at you, awaiting your answer. 

you sigh in defeat. a change in scenery would do you good. "fine. where are we going?"

chishiya gave you a cheshire like grin, "i know a place."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

that was how you found yourself in a booth in a small cafe, the blonde sitting across from you. when chishiya had led you out of the classroom and off campus, you weren't expecting to find yourself in such a cute restaurant. it hadn't seemed like the type of place chishiya would spend his free time in. nonetheless you were happy with his pick. you leaned forward in your seat, resting your cheek in the palm of your hand. 

"i didn't take you for a coffee person chishiya." you sang, the male raising an eyebrow while smiling back.

his eyes returned to his menu, flipping it over. "i'm not. i chose it because you look like you live off of the drink."

you pout. chishiya wasn't wrong. coffee was something you enjoy on a daily bases. it was also what kept you going during late nights of reading books in the comfort of your bed.

you chose to not respond to his comment. based on the smirk on his face you had already given away the fact that he was right. instead you picked up your own menu, eyes glancing over it before deciding to opt for the cappuccino and a small cheesecake.

soon after your drinks and dessert arrive, chishiya having ordered a hot chocolate. once your drink was set down you grabbed three packs of sugar off the coaster in the middle of the table. 

chishiya raised an eyebrow when you began tearing the second pack to dump in your coffee. "you want some coffee with that sugar?"

you cheeks grow warm, a small laugh leaving your lips. "i uh..don't like it when my coffee tastes bitter."

chishiya grinned at the new information before giving a small nod, and you continued to dump the last packet into your cappuccino. with a spoon you stirred the drink, tapping the utensil against the side of the cup before placing it on a napkin. with both hands you picked up the cup, blowing softly on the drink before taking a sip. 

"better?" you give the blonde an eager nod, taking another sip of the beverage before setting it down and taking a bite out of the cheesecake. 

your smile brightened upon tasting the sweet dessert, quickly getting another piece of cake. you leaned forward and extended your fork towards chishiya, the male setting his gaze on the utensil and then settling on you. "taste it, it's really good."

chishiya's eyes remained on you for another second before returning back to the treat. he leaned forward, opening his mouth and closing his lips around your fork. his eyes went back to yours as he shifted his mouth away from your hand, chewing softly. you feel your cheeks grow warm as chishiya's gaze remained on you. you hadn't meant to feed him. in all honesty you thought the male would have taken the fork from you to eat his share of the cake. but of course, chishiya was always full of surprises. 

he gave you a thumbs up, indicating that he had enjoyed the sweet. you quickly averted your eyes, taking another sip of your coffee to avoid his gaze. 

out of the corner of your eye you saw chishiya smirk, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. it made you realize the bastard had done that on purpose and you swore to yourself you'd tease him back once you obtained the chance. a comfortable silence settled between you two. normally you hated silence when with another person, however with chishiya it felt refreshing, and you had no problem sitting there drinking your coffee with no words exchanged as long as he was there. 

at first you were looking around the cafe, watching people as they talked amongst themselves or ate quietly. however your eyes went back to chishiya, something that has been happening a lot lately. since chishiya was the only person you've really been around with for a long period of time you've began to notice the tiny details after watching him for so long. like the beauty mark that rested below his left eye, and the fact that the male wore eyeliner and eyeshadow, a detail you began to notice recently. you also noticed that although his hair was straight, the strands of blonde would curl towards the end, making you wonder if he did that purposely or if his hair was naturally that way. 

chishiya must have noticed your far away look because before you realize the male has taken another bite out of your cake.

"hey!" you shout, leaning forward in your seat to snatch the fork out of his hands. chishiya just laughs. 

"what are you thinking about?" he asks, leaning back in his seat and returning to his relaxed state.

you're quick to think of something, "you mentioned you're a medical student right? i'm trying to guess what profession you're going into." 

"five bucks says you can't." chishiya leans forward in his seat, resting both his arms on the table. he holds up a five dollar bill in one of his hands.

"five bucks says i can." you take a glance at the hand holding the paper bill, taking note of the way his hands remain steady, never shaking once. you look back up to meet his eyes. "surgeon?" 

"impressive." chishiya hands you the five dollars. "detective?"

you grin, "close. profiler."

chishiya seems surprised, "huh, why?"

you pocket the five dollars, "is this a personal question i hear? i didn't realize our friendship progressed this far in just a couple of weeks." you flash him a grin.

chishiya returns your smile with a smirk of his own, "it's only a personal question if you make it one."

"fair enough. you really want to know?" you glance around the cafe for added effect before leaning forward to whisper in chishiya's ear, "i watched a lot of criminal minds as a kid." you leaned back ever so sightly, and if you weren't so close you would've missed the way chishiya's ears reddened to a soft pink. he leaned away from you to lean back in his chair and you did the same.

"seriously?" he laughed, taken aback by your response. he had expected a serious answer but he should've know you'd answer the way you did. 

"i figured after 15 seasons and guessing the culprit way before the professionals i might as well become one myself. what about you? why a surgeon?"

"go ahead and take a guess." 

"hmmm. i'm thinking family legacy." you noticed chishiya tense ever so slightly, the movement so quick and small you would've missed it if you hadn't been staring so intently at him.

"at least we know you'll be good at your job." chishiya's smile still remained, but he still seem tensed, so you decided to change the subject instead of asking him about his strange behavior. 

"of course i'll be good at my job. i didn't sit through that many seasons just to be bad at it. call me the next spencer reid if you will." 

"who's that?" 

"super genius. although i'm only similar to him since we can both read really fast."

chishiya's eyebrows raised up slightly to show off his surprise, "so that's how you were able to finish your test so quickly. and here i was thinking you had to have cheated."

you roll your eyes at the blonde, "as if. you're just upset that i'm smarter than you." 

chishiya just smiled at this. you both settled into a small talk, joking and teasing each other as you finished your cake and drinks. you were glad that you had taken up the males offer of ditching class, preferring the relaxed atmosphere of just you and chishiya together over your classroom filled with strangers. he was easy to be with, and you were grateful for the fact that you were able to share this moment with him. and with the way chishiya smiled at you, eyes softening with eye contact, you knew the male was grateful too. 

ever since that day you and chishiya haven't skipped class, but the two of you did put eating lunch together into your daily routine. the cafe was one of your favorite spots to go to, but you and chishiya would also find new ones, specially with sweets to try them out. you guys also got into the routine of studying in the library together, although it was more chishiya complaining about the work and you complaining back about how annoying he was being. nonetheless, you both always found yourselves back at the same table tucked in the corner of the library despite the annoyances. 

today was one of those days where you both decided to leave campus and find this crepe stand you had heard about. the two of you walked side by side, shoulders bumping occasionally due to how busy the sidewalk was and you'd prefer not to lose your friend in the crowd. looking up from your phone, you managed to find the stand exactly where the map had indicated. you tugged on the sleeve of chishiya's hoodie, the blonde taking his eyes away from whatever he had been staring at to look at you and finally to where you were pointing. 

after successfully maneuvering through the crowd you and him began waiting in line. your eyes scanned over the menu, thinking over what sort of fruit and flavors you were craving. maybe strawberries? oh but the bananas seemed just as appealing.

you turned towards chishiya "what flavor are you getting?"

he gave a hum in response, his brown eyes settling to your own. "some strawberries sound really good right about now."

"strawberries it is." you sang back. while waiting for your turn you began surveying the area, taking note of the couples walking hand in hand and the children tugging on their mother's sleeve. it was especially busy today in tokyo, due to the fact that spring was slowly turning into summer and students were either on vacation or enjoying the weekend off. 

you felt a hand press down on the top of your head, turning it to meet the eyes of none other than chishiya, "we're up next."

no sooner had he said that did the previous couple leave, and you and chishiya walked up to the owner. you both ordered your crepes, waiting patiently as it was made before paying and walking away. your mouth watered upon seeing the fresh strawberries and the chocolate drizzle surrounded by the warm pastry. chishiya had already taken a bite out of his, but before you could a child and it's mother blocked your path. said child wasn't crying, however you noticed the way their bottom lip trembled as the way they eyed the ice cream that had taken an unfortunate fall towards the side walk. 

without thinking you walked up to them, leaning down just slightly to hand out your crepe. they watched the treat, confused, taking at quick look at their mother. 

"you can have it, i'm not that hungry anyways." you smiled warmly at them as their eyes brighten, gingerly taking the treat and giving you an energetic thank you. their mother thanked you as well, patting her child's head before they both began walking away.

you felt chishiya come up behind you and you turned around to suggest that you guys head back but stopped upon seeing his expression. in the time that you've met chishiya, the only expressions you've seen him make were the smirks when he teased you and the blank face he had been making just moments prior. this time however, chishiya was making an expression you couldn't quite read, despite you being good at reading people. he seemed surprised, perhaps because you had just given away the crepe you've been craving all morning, but there was something else too. the way his eyes gazed at you, there was such a fondness lying in them that it made your breath catch in throat and you couldn't explain the meaning behind his gaze. 

chishiya seemed to finally notice that you had been staring at him as well. his eyes widened just a fraction, something close to fear flashing in them before he looked away. you continue to stare at him, confused. what was he so scared about? you broke out of your own thoughts to the feeling of chishiya brushing past you to continue walking. you hurry to catch up to him, not missing the way he had put distance between you two that wasn't there before.

you decided to ask him about it since you couldn't busy yourself with your thoughts by eating, "you ok? you seem...i don't know, off."

chishiya finally looked down at you, no smirk appearing on his face as he quickly looked away, "it's nothing."

you pout, hating the monotone response. if you had asked that question any other day chishiya would tease you about your concern. but for some odd reason, he was shying away from you. what had changed? did you do something wrong? 

suddenly chishiya stopped walking, causing you to stop as well as you waited for him to say something. 

"i'm going back to the dorm." and that was it. chishiya didn't even wait for a response from you. the bastard instead began walking away, leaving you by yourself in the middle of the sidewalk in the busy streets of tokyo. 

"bye.." you half heartedly held your hand up in a wave before lowering it slowly back to your side. you thought you were good at reading people. you thought you had figured out the mystery of shuntaro chishiya. but that was not the case at all. because right now, you were seeing a whole new side to the blonde you called your friend, a side you hadn't been expecting. and you weren't sure how to deal with it or what to do with the new information. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

apparently whatever had affected chishiya's mood that day at the crepe stand had stayed with him. the asshole remained moody, no longer giving you the same greetings in the mornings and whenever you initiated a conversation before class he'd give short answers, indicating that he wanted out of whatever it is that you guys were talking about. 

at first you didn't think too much into it, brushing it off as something personal. but after a couple of weeks of the treatment chishiya was giving you you began to worry. maybe you really had unintentionally done something to piss him off. but what was it? it couldn't have been the teasing, chishiya never had a problem with it before. did you forget his birthday? no, chishiya never told you his birthday and you doubted he was big on that sort of thing. 

weeks seeped into months with nothing changing. it got to the point where chishiya no longer showed up to class, causing you to once again sit by yourself. the longer you and the male stayed apart, the more you realized just how much chishiya contributed to your happiness. you began to miss the teasing and the easy banter the both of you shared. you even missed his cocky attitude and the smart ass comments. you cherished the friendship you two had, and you had assumed that he did as well. so why did he push you away?

winter came, gray skies and soft snowfall replacing the season of autumn. your love for the snow blossomed upon seeing it blanket the city outside, especially pretty during the night. it also creates the perfect atmosphere for reading and studying, and even adds to the christmas spirit. fitting since the holiday was coming up soon.

you were sitting at your desk, listening to soft music while reading when your phone began to vibrate. confused, you answered the phone call without checking the caller ID, immediately regretting it when you heard her voice through the small device. as much as you wanted to hang up and throw your phone, you listened to what the older woman had to say. with each passing second your irritation grew, wanting her to get on with the purpose of why she called you. finally she let the words out, and after having what she told you sink in you thanked her before hanging up. you sat there, not knowing how to react. were you sad? did you feel bad for your family? your relationship with them was never good so you figured that you'd just go on about your day until classes started. however it seemed like you didn't know yourself the way you thought you did. you didn't even notice you were crying until you saw the small stain of tears littering your book. maybe you were just upset about what happened with chishiya, not about the news you had just received. you found comfort in letting that idea be the reason for your tears before letting them out more freely, properly grieving for the first time since it had happened. 

and after letting your sorrows out you curled up in bed, hiding beneath the blankets as you blasted music in your ears to block out all thoughts. you didn't want to think about anything, your mood was depleting by the second and the long term sadness that chishiya had created within you didn't exactly help. 

hours passed, you remaining in your same spot. you hadn't even realized that class had started already until you heard the faint knocking on your door. you waited, trying to figure out if you had simply imagined the sound before you heard it again, this time louder. you removed yourself from the blankets, popping you earbuds out of your ears to hear that the knocking was not knocking but actually someone banging on your door. irritated, you hoped that if you didn't answer the stranger would leave you alone. however the banging did not cease and you were forced to answer less you wanted a complaint from the other students in your dorm building. 

you opened the door, ready to tell the asshole to knock it off and get lost but the words died in your throat once seeing who it was.

"what took you so long?" chishiya looked you up and down, taking in your state of appearance. "you look horrible."

you rolled your eyes. after months of one word responses and that's what he tells you? he should at least have the decency to explain himself, "thanks. bye." done with talking to him you begin to close the door but chishiya wedges his foot in between the door and the doorway, preventing you from fully closing it. "what the hell? get out."

chishiya didn't say anything, instead removing a hand from his hoodie pocket and placing it on the edge of the door, pushing it open. "why weren't you in class today?"

well of course with your luck the one day you miss class chishiya would be there. still, your frustration from his attitude and the current mood you were in made you look past the detail. "none of your business." 

you moved to close the door again but his hand pushed it back open. this time however he took the initiative to actually enter your room. 

"hey! what are you doing?" you watched as chishiya glanced around your room, and it was in this moment that you really stopped to think about how messy your room currently was. clothes littered the floor and books piled up on your desk and floors. your cheeks warmed upon seeing chishiya glance at the underwear you forgot to throw into your drawers after laundry day, his eyebrows raised slightly and the corner of his mouth twitching up in a smirk. 

your cheeks warmed even further, hurrying to pick up the discarded garment and others along with it to save yourself from more embarrassment. you stopped however as you watched chishiya lean down to pick up the coat you left on the floor as well. after standing back up he threw the coat at your face.

"put this on. we're leaving." you scrambled to remove the coat from your face, glaring at chishiya as he watched you with his blank face. 

"we sounds like a lot of people. you need to get out." chishiya didn't even blink at your comment, continuing to stay silent as your glaring intensified. 

after a while of you both just staring at each other you realized he wasn't going to give in. finally you sighed in defeat, standing up and shrugging your coat on. you reached for your shoes at the front of the door, putting them on and walking after chishiya as he left the room. 

you weren't sure where the two of you were going. the blonde remained silent the entire walk, and you stayed silent as well. in fact, instead of talking you were trying to figure out why chishiya had shown up to your dorm in the first place, and also how he knew where you lived. 

after some time of walking you began to recognize your surroundings until finally you saw the crepe stand from months ago. you hadn't bothered to come back to it, remembering all too well that that was the day chishiya began to avoid you. you figured chishiya must have had a bad memory with the day as well so he'd try to avoid it. however that was not the case and you were surprised to find chishiya changing his direction to head towards the stand. eventually you both got in line, more questions finding their way into your mind when chishiya bought only one crepe. 

still without a word he lead you to a bench nearby, wiping off some snow left there before taking a seat. wordlessly you sat beside him, about to ask what this was about before he handed you the crepe. 

you stared at the treat confused, and chishiya just sighed, nudging it closer. "it's for you."

your confusion turned into surprise. was this his way of apologizing for that day? or was he just trying to make you feel better? still, you took the treat, mumbling a thank you before taking a bite, the sweetness evading your mouth and causing tears to roll down your face.

chishiya's eyes widened slightly in surprise before returning to normal, "why are you crying?"

you wipe the tears away with the sleeve of your coat, avoiding his intense gaze. "sorry i just..." you paused, not knowing the answer yourself. why were you crying? was it because after chishiya ignoring you for so long, finally getting his attention made you emotional? "this crepe is just really good. kinda sad i didn't get to try it the first time."

you turned your head at the sound of chishiya laugh, the sound so brief and small that you would have missed it if it weren't for how quiet it was this afternoon. you're heart warmed at the sound, as well as at the pure happiness stretched on chishiya's face for that split second. before chishiya's only form of showing happiness was through his smirks, and even then he was just amused at whatever scene was unfolding before him. however this was different. chishiya just looked so carefree and content that it made you wonder why he didn't laugh like that more often. 

a comfortable silence settled between you two as you finished your crepe and chishiya watched whichever pedestrians passed by. with each bite you really thought about how much you had missed this, just basking in chishiya's presence. and as you finished your crepe, you really wanted to know why it had to end so abruptly.

"hey...what happened that day?" you move your gaze to chishiya's brown eyes, his face unchanging as you waited for his answer. 

finally chishiya spoke, "i was trying to figure out some things." 

you give him a sad smile, "still, i wish you wouldn't have ignored me like that. you can talk to me you know."

chishiya didn't apologize, instead giving you a small nod to let you know he understood. 

"did you figure it out?" you asked. chishiya furrowed his brows in confusion, "whatever you were thinking about."

chishiya looked away from you, looking up towards the light snow that had begun to fall from the sky. "yeah, i did."

you gave him a nod, missing the way his mouth held not a smirk, but a soft smile. he quickly replaced it though with his usual blank face. 

"and what about you? why didn't you show up to class today." chishiya asked, looking away from the sky to settle back on you.

you tense at his question. being with chishiya had temporarily made you forget the events from that morning, but that bliss was gone now and you were reminded of that phone call.

you look down at your hands, playing with your fingertips as you recounted the events to the blonde, "my mom..she uh called me today. she said my sister died last night." you cleared your throat, the next words coming out of your mouth in a rush. "but it's not a big deal. me and her weren't that close anyways. i kinda hated her to be honest."

you waited for chishiya to say something. or maybe for him to just sit there in silence. he did neither of these things however. you looked up in surprise as you felt him place his hand on top of your head, looking at you with a serious face. "sorry for your loss."

you couldn't help it. the serious way he had said those words and the fact that he had a hand on top of your head with no other gesture made you laugh. chishiya watched, confused at your outburst.

your laughing fit died down enough for you to speak, "sorry just the way you said that. god chishiya i didn't realize how bad you were at comforting people. glad you're going to be a surgeon and not a therapist."

chishiya's confusion changed to irritation real quick. with the hand still on top of your head he pressed down harder, causing you to apologize profusely for teasing him and beg him to let you go.

he removed his hand and put it back in his pocket, waiting for you to settle down fully. once you had he stands up, you following closely behind. after throwing away your trash you guys begin walking back to your dorm. 

another comfortable silence settled between the two of you as you walked, different from the tense one from earlier. you were glad that things had finally gone back to normal and that chishiya was back by your side. 

a strong breeze passed by through the evening, causing you to shiver. although the rest of your body was fine, your hands were cold, and unfortunately for you your coat had no pockets to stuff them in.

chishiya took notice of your shivering, stopping in front of you. "your hands are cold?"

you gave him a nod, showing your shaking hands, "i left my gloves at the dorm and for some reason my coat doesn't have pockets."

you gave a light hearted laugh, but the laugh died down in your throat as you felt a pair of hands grab a hold of the ones you held up. despite him not having gloves either his hands were warm, and your skin began to grow hot under his touch. he softly rubbed your hands with his own, causing your once cold fingers to warm, even though they were already warm enough with his hands over them. it surprised you even more as you watched chishiya lean down and blow on them softly, his eyes glancing up to meet your stunned ones. 

your heart began beating really fast, the rynthm reaching your ears and for a sec you were scared he could hear it. however despite your nervousness you weren't able to tear your eyes away from his, the gaze so alluring that it continued on sucking you in. in this moment you were suddenly aware of how beautiful his eyes really were, how attractive his beauty mark and eyeliner was to you, and how strong the urge was to kiss him. 

you don't know where these thoughts came from, or how long they've been in the back of your mind. chishiya leaned back up and you followed his gaze until you were now looking up at him. 

"better?" he asked, and you reminded yourself to nod since you weren't sure you were able to trust your voice. chishiya glanced down at your hands clasped in his, watching it for a second before removing them and stuffing his own back in his pockets. "let's get going then."

chishiya began walking once again and you willed your legs to work to follow after him. the rest of the walk to your dorm was filled with silence once more, you replaying the events that just occurred over and over in your head until you finally arrived at the familiar building you called home. 

you both stopped in front of the doors, not saying anything. your voice still wasn't working and you worried that if you looked at chishiya he'd be able to read what you were thinking. 

thankfully chishiya didn't ask about your behavior. he just glanced at the building before looking at you, "i'll see you tomorrow then."

you watched as the blonde began walking back, yet you still made no move to go back to your room. you wanted him to stay. you wanted him to hold your hands in his once more. you weren't ready to say goodbye.

so mustering up as much courage as you could you ran forward, wrapping your arms around chishiya's waist. you felt him tense under your touch before relaxing. he made no move to push you off, so you took the chance to relish in the way he felt in your arms and how warm his body was. so it wasn't just his hands. 

"thank you..for today. even though you suck at it you still tried to comfort me and people say it's the thought that counts right?" you spoke softly, still high in the feeling of chishiya shuntaro. 

your hold on the male tightens when you feel his hands ghost over your own. he didn't place his hands over yours, but your heart swelled at the small gesture nonetheless. whether it be on purpose or intentional, it was chishiya, and you held on to the feeling for as long as you could. 

reluctantly you removed your arms from around his waist, cheeks warm and your entire body on fire. you didn't dare look into his eyes, for all your courage had been used up in that moment. instead you said a quick goodbye, turning quickly towards your dorm building.

that night you lay in bed, mind still full of your classmate. you werent sure how long you've had feelings for him or how they came about, but you liked the feeling of butterflies in your stomach and the racing of your heart from just the thought of him. 

you turned over in your bed, laying on your side as you hugged your pillow. you looked at your hands, remembering the way the cocky bastard had held them so gingerly. 

you already miss the warmth chishiya shuntaro brought you.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	2. ⌈ 1 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you didn't think liking someone would be this difficult. sure you've had crushes before, but it was more of a far away admiration, the thought of actually being around them making the butterflies in your stomach flutter uncontrollably and enough to cause you to chicken out on confronting them in any way. 

so when you finally came to terms with the feelings you've developed for chishiya, you weren't sure what to do. the blonde was someone you were going to see everyday and you weren't sure if you'd be able to mask the feelings you had for him. although not as perceptive as you, chishiya was relatively good at reading people and with the way you acted around him yesterday he'd be sure to figure it out within minutes of seeing you. it was like you were wearing your emotions on your sleeve, displayed for everyone to see. not to mention in the time that you've known him he hadn't expressed any interest what so ever in romantic relationships, and when you had teased him asking about a girlfriend he had brushed you off saying that wasn't his sort of thing. 

rejection was inevitable.

you pushed those thoughts away however as you got ready that morning. although you debated the thought of ditching class once more you did promise chishiya that you'd see him today, and even if you didn't go he'd most likely just show up at your door again and you'd rather save yourself the embarrassment. you tried your best to down your breakfast, the thought of seeing the blonde making your stomach hurt from how nervous you were. you really underestimated just how awkward you were when it came to your attraction for others and you just prayed that the awkwardness would go away soon.

that was not the case however as each step closer to your classroom made your nerves grow to the point it was hard to breathe. you fiddled with your hands as you stood before the door, not being able to move any further than that. did you look okay? you never really cared about how you looked in front of chishiya, but as you were getting dressed that morning you realized you had unconsciously been picking out nicer clothes than you usually would and picking at your hair. 

taking a deep breathe to settle your nerves you reached your hand out to the door handle before stopping midway. before you entered the classroom you might as well check if he was there already. just to prepare yourself. cautiously, you peeked through the window on the closed door, giving a small sigh in relief at seeing the seat the male usually sat in as empty. you ignored the part of you that was disappointed that he wasn't here yet. 

"what are we looking at?" 

your hand shot up to your ear, eyes meeting that all too knowing smirk as you backed away from him in surprise. 

"chishiya! you can't just sneak up on people like that!" you managed to squeak out. you could still feel his hot breath fanning against your skin, reminding you of that day when you both had ditched class together. why did it have to feel so good? why did everything chishiya did make you like this? could he hear how hard your heart was beating right now?

he didn't apologize. instead he just watched you curiously, those eyes of his scrutinizing you, almost like he was picking you apart and putting you back together all in just one gaze. 

you forced yourself to look away, "i was just checking to see if our professor was here today."

chishiya leaned in close, glancing inside the classroom as well. you froze in your spot as you felt him right behind you, his warmth seeping into your skin and his scent making you dizzy. had he always smelled this nice? this comforting? you hadn't even realized chishiya smelled like anything specific, but you liked the way it made you at ease. 

"looks like he's not coming today." chishiya sang. you were sure he was happy with this predicament. you on the other hand were a little disappointed. even though you were a nervous wreck, you still wanted to be around him, and with your guys different majors this was the only class you had together.

chishiya took notice of your silence, leaning away from the door to once again eye you curiously. you were also disappointed at this, but you didn't have the courage to ask him to stay close. 

after a moment he began speaking, "we haven't been to the library in a while, i kinda of miss the atmosphere." you looked up at him in surprise. chishiya hated going to the library. although he likes peace and quiet he hated the idea of studying in there, always complaining about how simple the assignments were and how he didn't need it to pass.

you weren't sure what made him want to go there. you guys hadn't been since chishiya stopped coming to class. so why now? you hated how hard it was to read him sometimes.

chishiya continued to stare at you, waiting for your response. you were positive he expected you to go with him, and you weren't going to say he was wrong. the thing about chishiya was that even if you really didn't want to you'd go anywhere with him. so that's how you found yourself back in that little table tucked in the back of the library, chishiya sitting next to you as he watched the other students in the room. now you weren't even sure why he had invited you if he wasn't going to work himself. 

another thing was that your nerves had returned. he was just sitting so close and you could once again smell that fresh scent he omitted. you couldn't concentrate, but you'd much rather bury your nose pretending to read than embarrass yourself in a conversation with him. 

chishiya had other plans however as he soon grew bored with observing people. he turned to see you staring at your book, supposedly reading, but he knew you hadn't turned the page in a while now despite you being a fast reader. he leaned over to see what you were reading but you shy away, unintentionally scooting your chair away from his. 

irritated at the fact that you had been acting weird since yesterday, and with an idea on what it was about, chishiya decided to tease you to test the waters. he leaned in close once more, this time not towards your book but towards your ear. he blew softly, a smirk playing on his lips when you squeaked in surprise.

your cheeks warmed, hot and on fire when you once again felt his warm breath tickle your skin. chishiya took the chance to grab the book from your hands, holding it up near his head.

"hey! give it back." forgetting about your nerves you glared at the blonde. you wouldn't hesitate to hurt him if he damaged your favorite book.

his smirk only widened, the mischievous glint in his eyes momentarily scaring you. what was he planning? "come and get it then."

your glaring intensified. of course chishiya would use this to his advantage. if anything if you tried to get the book back chishiya would just hold it higher, away from your grasp and you'd end up playing into his hands to tease you. on the other hand you had nothing else to busy yourself with, and you really didn't feel like reading any of the books in the library, much preferring your own copies. 

chishiya waited, and you gave a sigh in defeat and you reached over to grab your book. of course, just as you had expected, the asshole extended it just out of your reach and you let out an air of frustration.

this time you leaned in even closer, ignoring the way his scent intensified and the way his warmth surrounded you. as you were about to reach your book chishiya stood up, successfully keeping it out of your reach.

"come on chishiya." you whined, also getting up to attempt once more. this time the male held it up above his head, and despite you jumping up to reach it, which you were sure you could since chishiya wasn't that tall, somehow he was able to keep you from successfully getting it. 

ceasing your attempts, you decided to direct your frustration towards the male who hadn't stopped smirking since this whole ordeal. you glared at him, which made his smirk widen. he leaned down close again, whispering in your ear. "what's the matter? giving up already?"

your ears burned, hotter than before, but you decided to take a chance and before chishiya could lean back you grabbed the book, also taking the time to hide your burning face behind the cover. 

chishiya didn't seem fazed by the fact that you had managed to retrieve your book back. he moved to lean forward again but you held the book tighter, scooting away from him. 

the teasing chishiya had just done gave you mixed feelings. for one you were happy because this was chishiya and you and him teased each other all the time. however, despite the happiness things were different now and even though you tried to ignore it in that moment, when he did things like that, whispering in your ear and getting really close you couldn't help but shy away. you liked it, but the fear of his rejection wanted you to stay away from things that could potentially reveal your feelings to him. 

chishiya raised an eyebrow in confusion, "what's up with you?" his mouth twitched up in another smirk, "come on don't tell me you fell for me already."

at this you froze. was he teasing you again or did he really figure it out? you were pretty obvious, anyone a mile away could probably tell by the way you were acting right now and you had no doubt if that was the case chishiya would be the first to realize. fear filled your heart and to save yourself from verbally saying the words out loud you quickly sat down, going back to reading even though you still couldn't concentrate. 

based on your silence to his question chishiya got his answer, and right now you wanted to crawl into a hole and never come back up. you hadn't even realized your feelings for 24 hours and you've already screwed things over. to make things worse chishiya still hasn't said anything, and you really didn't want to know what he thinks. he silence was an answer enough. 

you heard chishiya take his seat next to you, and you assumed he was going to resume watching the other students or leave when you saw his hand on your book, lowering it so he could see your face. 

quickly you turned away, holding a hand up so your knuckles brushed against your mouth and nose. you heard chishiya sigh, feeling one of his hands reach out and lightly touch your own.

"hey, look at me." you were scared. you knew what would come next. chishiya would let you down and you'd have to live with the fact that he'd probably end your friendship for good here and now.

when chishiya noticed you weren't making any moves to look at him he wrapped his hands around your own, lowering it from your face. the warmth from yesterday returned as his hands remained around yours for a second longer before returning back to his side. 

surprised, you moved your gaze away from the wall you had been staring at to your hands, until finally looking up to meet his. what surprised you even more was that chishiya wasn't looking at you coldly, which you were sure would be his reaction if he was going to reject you, nor was he holding one of his signature smirks. instead his eyes gazed at you fondly, a soft and genuine smile gracing his lips. 

"thats better." he leaned forward once more, and shock ran through your entire body when you felt his lips press against your cheek. they were soft, feather light as he pulled away, but still lingering close enough to your skin. your cheek burned with where his skin had touched yours, and you waited with a racing heart for what he was going to do next. you were even more surprised to see him lean in towards your lips, not touching but close enough that you could smell how minty his breath was and how pretty his eyes were up close. 

"chishiya.." you whispered, still breathless and high off of his scent. 

"i'm going to kiss you." chishiya whispered back, and you closed your eyes when you felt him finally lean in to close the remaining gap between you too.

all last night you thought about kissing chishiya, but it was nothing compared to the real thing. fireworks didn't go off, but you did feel an unexplainable happiness in your heart and you held on to that feeling even after he had pulled away to gaze into your eyes. 

still dizzy you just stared back, a big smile playing on your lips. chishiya returned your smile with his own, leaning back fully to rest in his chair. a million thoughts raced in your mind, but one stood out over the rest. 

chishiya shuntaro liked you back.

somehow you were able to find your voice, "how long?" you knew chishiya couldn't have just recently started liking you. the blonde didn't have any friends other than you and even though your friendship had been going on for several months now you still only knew the small pieces about him, half of which you just guessed on based on how he acted. it would seem out of character of him to act upon his feelings so suddenly.

chishiya hummed. "hmm, since we ate those crepes."

well that was surprising. guess you were wrong. you were about to drop it when a detail stood out to you. yesterday wasn't the only time you guys got crepes. 

you quickly look up at him, "you don't mean back in the summer do you?" 

"that's exactly what i mean." chishiya sang.

"but..you also stopped talking to me that day. why?" you asked, staring at him in disbelief. the blonde was not making any sense at the moment and no matter how much you re lived the day through your mind you had no idea on the cause of his actions. 

"i told you i was thinking about some things." chishiya winced when you punched him in the arm.

"what the hell?! you're telling me you ignored me for months because you had a crush on me?" you yell, eyes widening and saying a quick sorry to the students nearby for your outburst.

chishiya just smiled before looking away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. you could tell he was debating in his head if he should explain himself or not, the blonde not big on sharing his personal feelings. hell, him even admitting that he liked you and kissing you for it was probably out of his comfort zone. your eyes softened, the realization that he did that most likely because he didn't want you to think he didn't return your feelings despite not being big on that sort of thing warming your heart. 

surprising even yourself, you reached over to brush the stray locks of blonde against his cheek and tuck it behind his ear. chishiya's eyes widened, and you felt him tense as he looked at you. you gave him a soft smile hoping he'd understand that you weren't upset, and the males body finally relaxed under your touch. 

with another ounce of courage you wrapped both your arms around his neck, engulfing him in a hug. your body was flush against his as you basked in his warmth, in his scent, and everything that was chishiya. you giggled softly as you felt him hesitantly return your hug, wrapping his own arms around your waist and burying his face in your shoulder. his hair tickled your skin, and you're arms tightened around him, not wanting to let go.

you couldn't even begin to explain the happiness that you felt in that moment. when you first saw chishiya never in a million years did you think your affection for the boy would go this far. yet now you wanted nothing more than to remain by his side, the pure bliss and ease that he brought you addicting. you want to experience everything of him, truly understand what made him sad, angry, what put the soft smile he'd give you on his face. you wanted to love him in a way that no one else could, in a way that made him feel like he was worth something to someone. 

"i'll forgive you for now. but you have to make up for lost time chishiya." you sang, and you felt him laugh softly.

"sounds good to me." he sang back, and the smile you held on your face widened.

you guys just stayed like that for a while, enjoying the feel of the other in their arms. you were grateful that this was the boy you fell for, and you didn't need to see his face or hear his voice to know he felt the same way.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

dating chishiya was everything and more. 

although he wasn't big on pda he did hold your hand, the shy way he had bumped your fingers and finally lacing them together making your heart swell with warmth. he also wasn't big on words, but he always made his affection known through his actions, no matter how small. you never missed the way he would bring you your favorite snacks or how he'd bring you out of a conversation you were uncomfortable in. you also never failed to tease him on how 'gentleman like' he was opening the door for you and paying for your coffee. in the end he'd always reply with a 'im going to be the best boyfriend you've ever had.', his smirk displayed on his face. 

you both continued your sessions in the library, this time with chishiya sitting extra close as to silently let other students trying to approach you to back off. he was protective in a way that was silent, but you also noticed that if needed to he'd do it verbally, mainly giving back handed insults disguised as compliments to make the other person go away. 

despite chishiya's lack of physical affection out in public, he always made up for it when the two of you were alone. you guys usually hung out at your dorm after school, with chishiya laying on your bed as you played with his hair. although he didn't admit it out loud, you knew with the way he relaxed and always lay his head in your lap given the chance that he enjoyed the touch. 

chishiya's favorite things were also back hugs. sometimes he'd surprise you by showing up to your dorm unannounced, wrapping his arms around your shoulders as you sat at your desk. and you weren't really complaining though with how nice he felt against your back, head resting on your shoulder as he greeted you. 

you continued through life, chishiya by your side through every moment. during christmas you guys spent it indoors at your place, watching the snowfall and drinking hot chocolate as you cuddled in silence. new years you guys went out to a shrine, making a wish for good luck and a happy year. and you didn't forget the look on chishiya's face when you gave him a homemade charm, the shock on his face from having something made for him with care making you realize that this was probably the first gift he's gotten that was put together with love. you made sure to keep note of that for future reference. for valentine's day he gave you a small stuffed bear which has served as your new cuddle buddy was chishiya wasn't around and for white day you made him chocolates that the two of you ended up sharing together. 

summer came, you and the blonde finally released from the stress of exams and school. with the hot days and sunny skies came the summer festivals, and although you usually skipped out on them, you wanted to bring chishiya with you. namely to watch the fire works together.

you guys were in your room to save yourselves from the sweltering heat of the out doors, you reading a book while chishiya scrolled through his phone. even though you guys weren't really doing anything together, just the thought that he was right beside you was enough for the both of you. 

you closed your book, dramatically laying yourself across chishiya's lap as you stretched. chishiya glanced from his phone to you, eyeing you curiously.

once you had finished stretching you lay limp, closing your eyes. after reading since this morning your eyes hurt, but the book was just too good to put down. finally you had finished, and you also wanted to take this time to ask the blonde about the upcoming festival.

you rolled yourself over so you were closer to his chest and laying on your stomach. chishiya once more glanced at your curiously before finally putting his phone down. 

"chishiya, you know the summer festival coming up?" you asked, propping your head up with the palm of your hand. 

chishiya began petting your head, and you hummed softly under the tender touch. "yeah, what about it? you want to go?"

you nodded in confirmation, "i've never been before, and i figured since i have such a loving boyfriend," you gave an enphamis on the loving, chishiya's eyebrows raised as he smirked, "you'd take me out on a date there."

you watched as chishiya hummed, thinking over the idea. finally he smiled. "sure, why not. sounds like fun."

that was how you found yourselves at the summer festival, hundreds of people talking as they walked through the stands. girls were dressed up in traditional dresses while children were playing the numerous games available. hundreds of lanterns strung across the walkway and your mouth watered at the smell of food being handed out at the various stands. you held onto chishiya's hand as you led him through the crowd, stopping in front of a game with a pond of fish swimming through the waters.

chishiya read the sign, "kingyo sukui...oh the one where you scoop goldfish?" 

you nodded eagerly, "i've never played before but it seems like fun right?"

"and what are you gonna do with a goldfish? you barely take care of yourself." chishiya poked you on the forehead and you winced in pain, swatting his hand away. 

"i'll get it myself then." you muttered, moving towards the pond once acquiring your poi and and bowl. chishiya watched in amusement as you began scooping up the fish, noticing the way you were struggling in a child's game.

"damn fish stop moving." you cursed as more fish swam away, and after a few more attempts you gave up, returning your tools as your walked back to a smirking chishiya.

"i figured you were right, the fish would probably die within a day so i let them all go." you said defensively, not wanting to admit that you were terrible at the game. 

chishiya hummed in agreement as he took a hold of your hand once more, "sure you did. come on let's get some food."

your gloomy mood from your fail in the previous game dissipated once you guys arrived at a food stand. it was selling yakitori, and once you and chishiya had ordered and received your food you thanked him before heading to a spot where less people were gathered. you blew softly before taking a bite, humming in delight at the savory taste. chishiya also took a bite and you could tell by the way his face shifted slightly that he was enjoying the snack as well. the two of you settled into a small talk, bantering back and forward as usual. you liked how easy it was to talk to chishiya, and you were really grateful that you were here with him today. 

once you both had finished and thrown your trash away you proceeded to walk around. as you held onto the warmth of chishiya's hand you admired the pretty lights from the lanterns, the way they glowed softly enough to illuminate the pathway of the venues. one game in particular stood out to you, and you tugged on the male's hand to grab his attention. chishiya glanced at you curiously before directing his gaze towards the game you were looking at.

he let out a sigh of frustration, "you know those are rigged right?"

you gave him a pout, going back to looking longingly at the stuffed cat sitting atop the shelves lining the side of the venue. "they're so cute though. it'd go really good with that bear you got me for valentine's day." you flashed him a grin. 

chishiya rolled his eyes, but followed you nonetheless. the game was called shateki, a shooting game where you had to hit the target of the prize you wanted. chishiya walked up to the front and handed the worker some cash before picking up the shotgun on the table. you watched in anticipation as he held the gun up and squinted, silent for a moment before he began to shoot. 

you're eyes sparkled when chishiya had, despite his earlier comment, been able to hit the target. he was just clever in that sort of way. he set down the gun before taking the cat in his hands, turning towards you. he extended it out and you took it, admiring it before hugging it close to you. you look back up and told him thank you, and big smile on your face. chishiya just nodded and held out his hand which you gratefully took.

"sorry, what was that? they were rigged?" you playfully teased him, chishiya just shrugging his shoulders as he smiled at you. knowing chishiya he most likely was sure he could beat it. still, you were grateful that he tried anyways. and for that you squeezed his hand to let him know your gratitude for his actions. 

the two of you continued walking around, you eventually dragging chishiya to a stand that held japanese masks. you handed him the stuffed cat he had won and you picked up one that looked like a fox, holding it up to your face as you looked at the blonde. he laughed at your antics before checking his phone. 

you lowered the mask, gazing at him in curiosity. chishiya noticed your confusion and held up his phone to show you his lock screen. 

"the fireworks are going to start soon. we should look for a good spot to watch." he explained. your eyes widened in surprise. that much time has passed already? you we're having so much fun that you hadn't even realized. 

you put the mask back in its place and retrieved your plushie back before feeling chishiya begin to tug at your hand. you followed him as you both maneuvered through the growing crowd, shouting out the occasional 'sorry' when you bumped into someone. you noticed that it had gotten busier, probably due to the fact that the firework show was the most popular event and would be starting in just 20 minutes. 

your confusion grew when chishiya led you past the area reserved to watch the fireworks, instead leading you to a completely different direction.

"hey, chishiya, where are we going? you passed the best spot." you shouted so he could hear you over the crowd.

"i'm taking you to an even better spot." he shouted back, looking over his shoulder to flash you a cheshire like grin.

you decided to trust him. the both of you walked towards the back of the festival where fewer people were gathered, due to the fact that you couldn't see anything from here. you grew even more confused however when chishiya led you towards a hill that was surely steep and hard to get up.

your lack of physical ability made you tug on his hand to go to the other direction, "no, no way. i am not going up that." 

even though chishiya also lacked any physical endurance he was still slightly stronger than you. he tugged you back to his side, "come on, it'll be worth it."

you groaned, the thought of walking up such a steep hill making your stomach turn. but you let him help you up anyways, and by the time you both arrived at the top you were breathing heavier than normal. chishiya was also breathing heavily, which made you feel better to not be the only one out of shape. you'd tease him about it later.

the blonde sat down and you sat down next to him, legs overlapping as you leaned into his side. you couldn't see the festival from here, and there was no one else around. you began to wonder how chishiya knew about this spot. had he seen it while the two of you were walking around? 

chishiya looked down at his phone, "the fireworks should start soon."

you hummed, watching him. sometimes you still couldn't believe that he was here, right beside you. it seemed surreal and sometimes you were afraid that you'd wake up and he'd be gone, the entire relationship and months spent with him all a dream. but sitting here, feeling his warmth and basking in his presence, you knew it wasn't just your mind playing tricks on you, and even if it was you'd gladly never wake up from it. 

chishiya noticed you watching him, his eyes watching yours as he smirked, "what are you looking at?"

"you. just thinking about how pretty you are." you replied, flashing him a grin before directing your attention to the sky. 

with the lights from the lanterns no longer around you were able to see the sky more clearly. stars splashed across the abyss as you relished in the way the cool night air felt on your skin and the warmth of your heart with just chishiya beside to you.

"i really like this. being away from everyone. don't you wish it was like that sometimes?" you asked.

"hmm, that sounds amazing." he sang. 

you laughed at his enthusiasm at the idea, "although i guess i'd let you stick around. you are somewhat tolerable."

"oh? how nice of you." he replied.

the both of you laughed until you saw the sky light up. you turned to see fireworks shooting up from the ground, a big 'pop' as they exploded into various colors.

excitedly you tugged on chishiya's sleeve to make sure he was watching, "look! the fireworks started!"

with each explosion you stared in amazement. although the stars from the darkness were beautiful, the light from the fireworks definitely beat it by a landslide. 

"oh! i should take a video." you reach into your pocket for your phone, only to stare in confusion when it wouldn't turn on, "huh? it's dead."

chishiya looked at your phones blank screen, "here, you can use mine." he brought out his own phone, however the device also remained blank. 

"looks like yours died as well." but it was weird. hadn't he just been using it a couple minutes ago? and you could've sworn you saw it at half battery too. 

you didn't dwell too much on it though, instead returning your attention to the ongoing show. as you watched, chishiya was looking at you, smiling fondly at how excited you were. he leaned forward to press a soft kiss against your temple before watching the rest of the fireworks with you.

too soon it ended, engulfing the both of you in silence and darkness once more. you got up from your sitting position and stretched, chishiya following right after. he was the first to begin the trek down the hill, holding your hand so you wouldn't fall. 

in one piece you guys made it to the bottom, beginning the walk back to the festival. but something to you seemed strange. it was too quiet, and the feeling in your stomach told you that something was wrong.

your suspicions were confirmed when you guys finally reached the pathway, staring in confusion at the turned off lanterns and empty stalls. no one was around.

"where'd everyone go?" you asked outloud. 

chishiya just shrugged, "must've gone back home once the fireworks finished.

you wanted to agree, but even if that were the case it was too short of an interval for everyone in the crowd to leave before the two of you got here. for one it probably took you guys 5 minutes tops to find you way back, and even then there should still be if not a full crowd at least a small one. workers should also still be around to clean up and pack their things. 

so why wasn't anyone here?

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	3. ⌈ 2 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ! 

no matter how many movies you watched featuring the end of the world, it was nothing compared to the real thing. at least, if this was the end of the world, you definitely hadn't expected this.

you still couldn't explain where everyone in the festival had gone, and after leaving as a whole it seemed like the sudden disappearance wasn't limited to just that area. cars were left unattended and the streets once busy with pedestrians were empty. you clutched onto chishiya's hand as you walked to no particular destination, if anything just trying to spot something resembling human life.

it was strange. this couldn't have been an evacuation drill, there was no way with that many people they would be able to leave so soon without a trace. definitely not a flash mob since the area was way too large for that. maybe a dream? no, this felt too real to be a dream. if anything something as bizarre as aliens would make more sense right about now.

chishiya noticed how silent you were as you walked. ever since you both had discovered the deserted festival you had been deep in thought, trying to figure out what was the cause of this strange phenomenon. the blonde, however, didn't seem that fazed, instead it seemed like he was enjoying how quiet it had become with the lack of citizens.

"don't think too much into it. this is what we were wishing for wasn't it?" chishiya said, giving you a glance.

that was true. you had wished for it to just be the two of you. was this what this was? an answer to your desire? 

chishiya stopped walking, turning to face you as he placed a hand atop of your head. bringing yourself out of your thoughts you turned your own body to look at him. he gave you a smile, petting your head softly. you instantly relaxed, momentarily forgetting about your current thoughts and instead focusing on the sensation of chishiya touching you. 

"me? thinking too much? you must be crazy. i was actually just enjoying the scenery." you gave him a smile. 

chishiya paused in his actions, returning his hands back to his side, "says the one who overanalyzes everything. i know you were trying to figure everything out." he gave you a knowing look.

you narrowed your eyes at him, "seriously, you might take my job away from me if you keep that up."

"you think i could be a profiler? i wonder how much they make." chishiya stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued walking forward. 

you sped up to catch up to him, "not as much as a surgeon. do me a favor and stay in medical school so i don't have to work in the first place." 

"hmmm, you'd make a good house wife. will you make me a bento box before i go to work?" he glanced at you with a smirk. 

you rolled your eyes at his suggestion, "as if. i'm smart but not when it comes to taking care of things. in reality i'll spend all your money shopping for myself. maybe wish you dead so i can take the profit."

chishiya faked a hurt expression, bringing one hand out of his pocket to place over his heart, "how cruel. here i was thinking you liked me for my charming personality."

you matched the smirk he had given you, "guess you aren't as clever as you thought."

"at least i can make a proper meal." the asshole. of course he'd pick at your incapability to make a food other than prepackaged ramen. 

"are we seriously back at that again? i never learned alright and i'm too lazy to actually try." you defended. 

"oh but, where's the fun in that? besides," he leaned in closer, "i like teasing you."

you were about to defend yourself further when you heard something in the silence. 

"maybe you should-" you smacked a hand across chishiya's mouth, stopping him from speaking any further. he seemed surprised at the sudden action, eyes widening before gazing at you in curiosity. 

"just, quiet for a moment and listen." you whispered. you retracted your hand while straining your ears to listen.

chishiya remained quiet as well before squinting his eyes slightly in concentration, "it sounds like...a car..?"

you gazed into the darkness, trying to find the source of the sound. if a car was being started it could only mean one thing. 

you guys weren't the only ones here.

you grabbed chishiya's hand and the both of you began heading towards the source of the sound. as you got closer you also began hearing laughter and the soft chatter of a conversation. it sounded like not just one person but a group of people. three maybe? 

your guess was correct as you spotted three guys near a gray sedan, the car started and them laughing at some joke the other made. for a moment you were relieved to see that there were others, but new questions also arose with the discovery. why were they also here? were there others? 

chishiya also noticed them gathered at the car. he let out a dramatic sigh, "and here i was thinking it'd just be me and you." 

you pat him lightly on the shoulder, "guess it wasn't mean to be." you returned your attention back to the group of boys. so far they were the first ones you and chishiya had seen all evening. and with the way they talked with ease and the matching bracelets on their wrists shaped like locker keys they must know something. "i'm going to go talk to them." you took a step forward only to get tugged back by the back of your shirt. you looked at chishiya, irritated, "hey, what's your problem?"

"they look like they're getting ready to go somewhere." he replied.

you raised an eyebrow up while giving him a smirk, "are you saying you want to follow them?"

chishiya glanced down at you before looking back at the strangers now in the car. "no but i like the way you think."

you also looked back at the now departing car, "an infiltration it is."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

luckily for the both of you the car wasn't far from whatever camp they were staying at. you and chishiya were able to easily follow with a walk, watching the car enter what looked to be a hotel called the "beach". based on the way things were organized with guards up at front this has been around for a while. how long you weren't sure yet but enough to establish a sort of system to keep things in check. the only thing was, there was no way these people would be able to take over a hotel before whatever it is that happened. did that mean it took time to reach different locations until finally you and chishiya were affected? 

another discovery as you guys made it here was that cars no longer worked, nor did phones. and all the stores you both passed by had no electricity. so how did these people have cars? how were they able to keep the lights on at the hotel?

you let out a sigh, burying your face in chishiya's back, "it seems like the more i find out the more i actually don't know." you mumbled, your words muffled by his shirt. 

"i think we'll get answers here." chishiya said, eyes still trained on the building. at least you weren't the only one taking in as much as you could about the place before going in.

you looked up to watch it as well. "what do you think this is all about anyways?"

chishiya turned to look at you, "hmm, not sure. but i'm sure whatever it is will be quite surprising."

"i don't like when you answer like that." you mumbled. 

"then what do you think?" chishiya asked, your heart skipping a beat when you felt him lace his finger with yours.

"i'm still thinking this is all actually a dream." you exclaimed.

"sounds reasonable."

you pushed yourself up from where you were sitting. chishiya followed soon after, "let's find out who's right then hm?"

the blonde gave you a grin, "let's."

you and chishiya began walking to the entrance, going through an arch way that lead to the poolside area. you were surprised to see the amount of people here, music blasting and people dancing with each other. you both were definitely not expecting this. if anything, you were thinking of more of a refugee camp, but this? it was more like a party. almost like they weren't even aware of what was going on outside the building walls.

"well, they seem to be having fun." you joked. chishiya looked around, amusement dancing in his eyes at the scene unfolding before him. you could tell he wasn't expecting this either, but he seemed to be enjoying the surprise. 

the longer you both stood there the busier it got. suddenly the both of you were caught in a crowd that had formed to dance. a girl bumped into you, causing you to lose your balance from the unexpected push. you felt chishiya grab a hold of the back of your shirt, bringing you closer to him. your cheeks grew warm at the thought that he didn't want to lose you in the amount of people here. 

"hey! what do think you're doing?" you heard a voice shout behind you over the music.

you and chishiya turned around to see a man around your age. what surprised you though wasn't the piercings on his face but the gun slung around his shoulder. so far no one else had one, so why did he? did he know something all these other people didn't?

the crowd dispersed as he slowly walked up to the two of you. his eyes shifted to look you up and down and he smirked once he had reached back to your eyes. chishiya noticed the glance and you could feel his hand tighten on your shirt.

you gave him a smile, "we're just looking around, no problem with that right?"

his eyes narrowed, "where are your guys uniform? you new or something?"

uniform? was he talking about the bathing suits? you gave him a nod, "we just got here today. do you mind telling us about this place?"

at this he smirked once more. he walked even closer, putting a hand on your shoulder. you did your best not to stiffen under the touch, "games are starting soon, so i'll give you a word of advice," he leaned in close, his nose inches from yours. "don't die." he stuck out his tongue, revealing a piercing to add to the others before getting back up and walking away.

you watched as he left, noticing how seemingly everyone once more backed away at the sight of him. definitely one to be feared. but for what? and with the way he carried himself, his smirk widening each time he saw someone cower, he liked that fear. "games?" you turned towards chishiya, "we gonna play uno or what?" you said smiling. you wanted to lighten the mood after the stranger had instilled a bad feeling in your gut. 

chishiya was still watching the stranger, "i don't like him." 

ah, there it was. the jealousy. although you could admit you didn't like him either. he seemed like the type to instill fear in people purposely just for the fun of it. to feel in power, maybe because of insecurity. you definitely did not want someone like that by your side through these strange times. and what was with the "don't die" at the end? what could possibly be about these games that would kill you? 

"still, he wasn't lying. nothing about his body language insisted so." you replied. meaning that those parting words were also true. 

chishiya remained quiet until over the blasting music a siren was heard. everyone in the poolside area began cheering, running to head inside. you and chishiya shared curious glances with each other before you grabbed his hand and began heading inside as well. as you got closer to the entrance to the inside you noticed that paper slips were being handed out. maybe they were used to gain something? food maybe? 

you grab one and stare at the number written on the piece of paper. definitely not a food stamp. you glanced at chishiya's number and it was different from yours. we're you guys being separated into groups? or maybe an order for a line? 

you and chishiya find yourselves a spot in the back of the room. people were gathered excitedly in the area, even more from the pool. so there were more people here. but it wasn't a line. that had to mean these papers were for groups then. but what kind of groups?

you snapped out of your thoughts when more cheers erupted, and you glanced up to see a group of 5 up on the balcony overlooking the room. a man wearing a red robe and swim trunks stood in the center, holding his arms out. so this was the person in power. 

"citizens of the beach! the time has come again for us to collect more playing cards! remember, this is all so we can go back home to the real world! please get in the cars assigned to your numbers!" he shouted.

more cheers as people began shouting out wards, talking about venues being found in the area. so this is where the games are being held. but what did he mean about returning to the real world? is he insinuating that this place as wasn't the one you were just in a couple hours ago?

you turned towards chishiya, "looks like we aren't in the same group. how unfortunate, it would've been fun to beat you in a game." you gave him a smile.

chishiya smiled back. "maybe next time." he sang.

you were about to turn and leave when you once more felt chishiya take a hold of your shirt, causing you to stumble and fall against his chest. your heart rate picked up as your cheeks warmed, not use to the affection around all these people. he wrapped his arms around you, leaning his head down on your shoulder. 

"hey, be careful. we don't know what these games are all about yet." he whispered, his breathe tickling your ear.

you turned your head to face his, your noses bumping into each other as you stared into his eyes. you gave him a soft smile. "you be careful too." he gave you a small nod in response.

he let go and already you missed his warmth. you stared at him for a second longer, taking in everything that was him before you began walking away, turning around quickly to give him a salute, "i promise by the time i come back i'll be a victor in both the game AND the answer!"

chishiya smirked, holding up his hand to wave goodbye back. you smiled once more before turning around, heading to where everyone else was gathered. people were getting into cars and running in groups out of the hotel while others who seemed to not be participating in these games were cheering them on. you noticed a group of girls walking by with the same numbers as you. you walked up to them, holding up your slip of paper, "got room for one more?"

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

you found yourself in front of another hotel, smaller than the one used as the beach but still large regardless. was this another camp? similar to the beach? the lights were on, meaning they also had electricity. but so far you could only see a couple people inside, nothing compared to the numbers of the beach. plus there was a sign in front which the previous hotel lacked.

ᎬNᎢᎡY ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ, NᎾNᎬ

so there was no limit to how many people could play. maybe you guys really were going to play uno. you walked into what was the lobby, people hanging around like they were waiting for something. there was a table in the center with phones laid out, empty spaces where ones had already been taken. you walked up and picked up a phone, surprised that it actually turned on despite you being certain that phones no longer worked. 

FᎪᏟᏆᎪᏞ ᎡᎬᏟᎾᏩNᏆᎢᏆᎾN ᏆN ᏢᎡᎾᏟᎬᏚᏚ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏔᎪᏆᎢ Ꭺ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ.

a screen popped up after a couple of seconds. it was different from a regular phone with only a couple apps present, including a settings, photos, camera, and a timer located at the bottom and two shaped like cards in the top left corner. one said game, while the other said visa. you also noticed that it was at full battery, but there was no signal. you glanced at the sign. 

ᎾNᎬ ᏢᎬᎡ ᏢᎬᎡᏚᎾN 

so everyone else in the lobby also had a phone. was the game online then? suddenly the screen changed to show a different message.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏔᎪᏆᎢ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬNᎢᏞY ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎢᎾ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬNᎢᏞY 8 ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪNᎢᏚ. 

huh, so people couldn't join after the game has already started.

at the check in desk there were room keys laid out as well as another sign. 

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎢᎪKᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᎡᎾᎾᎷ KᎬY. 

the girls in your group took one without hesitation, talking amongst themselves as they walked away. so they were also familiar to whatever this was. you'd have to ask them about it later. 

you took one, putting it in your pocket as you glanced around the room. these people weren't grouped together, so they all must not know each other. you noticed how one girl, most likely in high school based on the uniform, looked nervous, unsure. so she didn't know what was going on either. others, however seemed irritated, almost like they couldn't wait for the game to start. like they wanted to get it over with. if that was the case, why not leave? unless these were required, but by who?

two minutes passed with just one remaining until this 'game' started. so far four more people have entered since then, three of them glancing around in confusion while the one walked in like he had been doing this a million times. just as the timer was about to end two more people quickly ran in, grabbing phones as several dings sounded throughout the room. 

ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ. ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, 9 ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

you heard a girl scream, tears rolling down her cheeks as she fell to the floor. everyone else in the room who seemed like they knew what they were doing also looked scared, the ones in groups sharing uneasy glances with each other, including the girls you had arrived with. 

"fuck! this has got to be a fucking joke!" one of the guys shouted at the phone, throwing it to the ground. 

a girl you had deemed in high school looked around at the others gathered in the room, "what..what does that mean?"

"it means we're gonna die you fucking idiot! god dammit!" the same man shouted at her. causing her to flinch at his loud voice. 

what a jerk. you walked up to them, placing a hand on the girls shoulder, "hey, don't take your anger out on her. she's just a kid."

he glared at you, "do you even know what this means?"

"hmm, something bad i'm guessing." you gave him a smile.

he scoffed, "how can you fucking smile like that in this situation."

"like this, see? you should try it sometime, it'll do you some good." you flashed another smile as demonstration.

he stepped forward but another guy intervened. with the nervous glances he had been giving the room he also seemed like he didn't know what was going on, "hey let's not fight alright? let's just hear out the rules. it might not even be that difficult."

he turned his attention to the newcomer, "not difficult? you fucking messing with me? this is a hearts game. it's never gonna be fucking easy." so heart games were bad? 

"yeah but," the peacemaker spoke up, but you decided to cut in to get things going. you wanted to know what these games were exactly. 

"how about you shut your mouth for a second so we can hear what the game is about?" you quipped up. this guy acted all tough but you could tell by the way his fists were clenched that he was scared, angry, maybe both.

once again he directed his anger towards you, "you think you're smart? how about YOU shut your mouth and respect the adults." internally you rolled your eyes. clearly his job gave him too much power that when he didn't get the respect he thought he deserved he lashed out in anger. you hated those type of people.

god how annoying. still you smiled, "of course, but i just want to hear out the rules so i can win this game."

he laughed bitterly, "you think you're gonna win?"

you titled your head in mock confusion, "why of course." 

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ, ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠᏚ ᎾF ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ. ᏙᏆᎾᏞᎬNᏟᎬ ᎾF ᎪNY KᏆNᎠ ᎾᏌᎢᏚᏆᎠᎬ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ. ᎡᎾᏞᎬᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ NᎾᎢ ᎢᎾ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎬᏙᎬᎪᏞᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᎬᎪᏟᎻᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ FᏆFᎢᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ. FᎪᏆᏞᏌᎡᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎠᎾ ᏚᎾ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ. ᏆF Ꭺ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏆᏚ NᎾᎢ KᏆᏞᏞᎬᎠ ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎢᎻᎬN ᏆᎢ'Ꮪ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ. ᏆF ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ Ꭺ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏆᏚ NᎾᎢ ᏙᎾᎢᎬᎠ ᎾᏌᎢ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ. ᎠᎾᏟᎢᎾᎡᏚ ᏟᎪN ᎾNᏞY ᏚᎪᏙᎬ ᎢᎻᎬᎷᏚᎬᏞᏙᎬᏚ ᎬᏙᎬᎡY ᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ. ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ NᎾᎢ ᎪᏞᏞᎾᏔᎬᎠ ᏆN ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ'Ꮪ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ. 

so this wasn't an online game. as 'players' you'd be using the entirety of the hotel as your game board. 

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN. ᏆF ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎷᎾᎡᎬ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᎢᎻᎪN ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᏴY ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ FᏆFᎢᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᏔᏆN. ᏆF ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎷᎾᎡᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎢᎻᎪN ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᏴY ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ FᏆFᎢᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᏔᏆN. ᏆF ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎪN ᎬᏙᎬN ᎪᎷᎾᏌNᎢ ᎾF ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᎪᏚ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏔᏆN ᏴY ᎠᎬFᎪᏌᏞᎢ. ᏞᎾᏚᏆNᏩ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ. 

murmurs erupted throughout the room at the clear condition. you were confused however. the game seemed easy enough. figure out who's lying about their role as citizen. if you lost, so what? why'd everyone look like their lives were on the line?

ᎢᎾ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏢᏌᎢ ᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏟᎾᏞᏞᎪᎡᏚ ᏞᎪᏆᎠ ᎾᏌᎢ ᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᎪᏴᏞᎬ. 

you all turned to see the elevator ding, a table in the middle with 14 collars, enough for each person in the room. no one made a move towards the table, but the elevator didn't close. you guessed that these collars, whatever they were for, wasn't something good. but the game wouldn't start unless they were on. 

you walked towards the elevator, everyone watching as you grabbed the device and put it around your neck. immediately it closed, and when you gave it a tug it didn't come off. you didn't want to know what would happen if you tried to force it off. one by one everyone else grabbed a collar of their own, the sound of the lock clicking into place filling the silence of the room. 

another ding came from the phone. 

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎻᎬᎪᎠ ᎢᎾ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏚᎬᏞᎬᏟᎢᎬᎠ ᏙᏆᎪ ᎡᎾᎾᎷ KᎬY.

you all turned to see the last two elevators open, and seven of you went in one, the other seven going into the third and final elevator. you noticed that one of the girls you were familiar with was there with you, her eyes set on you. she also seemed scared, but not because of the unknown, but because of the rules that seemingly everyone else was also afraid of. 

"hey, why's everyone so scared?" you asked her. the other five in the elevator with you both sent glances your way but didn't say anything. 

she looked away, eyes glued to the floor as she dug her fingernails into the skin of her arm. "these games are designed to kill you. the higher the number the more difficult it is to clear, and the symbol represents the type of game it is." 

"hearts are the worst im guessing." she gave a nod as a response to your statement. that explains why everyone looked so terrified. losing meant game over, which probably meant dying even if you survived to the last round. not to mention there were the killing periods where you didn't know who'd end up being the unlucky victim. 

you let out a sigh. in reality being a mafia was probably the worst if you weren't good at lying. there was also the issue of numbers. if you remembered correctly there should be one mafia member per four people, meaning with the 14 players here there should be at least 3. killing enough citizens and voting enough out in order to win would prove to be difficult. the only possible way for mafia members to win is if they lost one member max and were able to successfully kill someone each round.

you snapped out of your thoughts when the elevator dinged, signaling you had arrived at the top floor. the seven of you walked down in the same direction, meaning everyone's rooms were in the same hallway. rummaging through your pockets you walked up to your own room, putting the key in place. you felt someones eyes on you and it turned out to be the man with the bad temper from earlier. he was glaring at you, and as a response you gave him a small wave before walking in. you shut the door behind you, looking around the room. it seemed like any normal hotel room. your phone dinged again, and you glanced at the screen.

ᎡᎾᏞᎬᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏴᎬ ᎠᏆᏚᎢᎡᏆᏴᏌᎢᎬᎠ. ᎡᎬᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ, ᎡᎾᏞᎬᏚ ᏟᎪN NᎾᎢ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎬᏙᎬᎪᏞᎬᎠ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ. ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ, (NᎪᎷᎬ) (ᏞᎪᏚᎢ NᎪᎷᎬ), YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᏞᎬ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ.

you felt your heart stop. mafia? did you really just receive the worst role you could possibly get? if this was anything like the game you used to play back in elementary school and anything like what you had managed to figure out in the time spent in the elevator that meant you had to kill someone in order to survive. would you be able to do it? let someone die through your own hands? 

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ. ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎾNᎬ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬN ᏢᎬᎡ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞ ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎬᏚᏢᎾNᏚᏆᏴᏞᎬ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᏌᎡᎠᎬᎡ. ᏆF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᎠᎾᎬᏚN'Ꭲ KᏆᏞᏞ Ꭺ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬN ᏔᏆᎢᎻᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎢᏆᎷᏌᏞᎪᎢᎬᎠ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎢᎻᎬN ᏆᎢ'ᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ. ᏔᎬᎪᏢᎾNᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎢ. ᏌᏚᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᏟᎪᏌᎢᏆᎾN.

YᎾᏌᎡ NᏌᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 1

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 3.

ᏩᎾᎾᎠ ᏞᏌᏟK ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ. 

your screen went from the rules to the time limit, counting down from two hours. so that meant that who ever was the third mafia member had to kill someone in that amount of time. it also meant that there were at least three mafia members including yourself, meaning you were right about the ratios. but, who were they? you doubt that even if you figured it out revealing their role may result in a game over for them or yourself. 

you let out a sigh of frustration. whatever this game was, it was definitely twisted. at least in a regular game you'd know who the other mafia members were, and you could all collectively vote on who was the best to kill off in that round. but here, you had to leave it up to them, and not knowing could result in you accidentally voting them off during the judgement process. or worse, them mistaking you as a citizen and killing you off. 

you remember the weapons that the system had mentioned. you glanced over to the closet right in front of your bed, the sight of it making your stomach sick. despite the feeling you walked to your closet doors, opening it to see a box. you removed the lid and looked inside and were surprised to see the amount of materials contained in there. ranging from guns to toxins, who ever put together this game had really thought about everything, giving the mafia members options for when their turn came. still, the churning in your stomach worsened at the sight and you quickly closed the box, shutting the closet door closed along with it.

you backed away, your knees hitting the edge of the bed causing you to fall down and sit on the mattress. reality set in then and there. these people, they actually expected you to kill someone. to take a human life. and if this was your game, then you could only get even more scared thinking about the type of game chishiya was in. and the type of people in there with him. another ding from your phone. 

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ. 

you stared at the screen in confusion. was this their way of weeding people out from hiding out in their rooms during the killing period? it made sense, staying in your rooms each round could easily allow the citizens to clear the game without actually having someone from their team killed. 

you got up and walked to the door, taking a deep breath in to calm your nerves and the bad feeling in your stomach. no doubt everyone else got their roles right about now too, and everyone would be watching the other closely as to get any sign of who received the mafia role. luckily for you you were good at masking those type of emotions.

you left your room to see everyone outside their own doors, looking around cautiously at one another. you couldn't blame them. you were doing the action yourself, trying to figure out who was on your side.

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎾNᎬ

"who is it?! come on, show yourself!" a woman shouted. she clutched tightly to her phone.

a boy, probably around your age, rolled his eyes, "seriously lady, you think it's going to be that easy? this is a hearts game. it's all about lying and making people trust you."

"and how do you know huh? you play a hearts game before? i bet you're apart of the mafia aren't you?" she screamed. 

he held his hands up in defense, "hey! just because i know what this game is doesn't mean i'm mafia! with the way you're acting all defensive what if you're the mafia and trying to pin the blame on me?!" 

"there you go! doing the exact same thing!" she shouted back.

"hey guys, let's not fight alright? i say we all head downstairs and gather in the main lobby." this time it was a man dressed in a suit who spoke. he seemed genuine, used to the bickering and had a calm aura about him. perhaps a teacher. 

"and why would we do that? what if you're just leading us there to kill us huh?!" the same lady turned her attention towards him, eyes narrowed in newfound suspicion. 

"well if we're all in the same room no one could possibly kill someone without getting caught. and if we're lucky by the end of the time limit the mafia member will panic and kill someone. we'd know exactly who it is." he reasoned. 

it was a good plan you had to admit. even if you guys stuck in pairs and not a group if someone were to die their partner would most likely end up being mafia. there was also the idea that you're always being watched and it'll be harder to actually make any moves. you figured you'd use this time to your advantage and hopefully find who was on your team. 

"i think that's a good plan! anyone object?" you asked. no one said anything so you took that as a go. 

everyone followed to the elevator, once more splitting into two groups to go down. you all went to the lobby, immediately separating from each other to go to your own respective spots. you found yourself an empty cushioned sofa where you lied down, eyes shifting between the 13 other individuals in the area. everyone was fidgeting, even those who had come together keeping a distance. 

and hour passed and during that time you busied yourself with trying to figure out who was who. so far a lot of people were in the clear, like the lady who had tried to put false accusations, as well as the college boy who had been the recipient of her blames. but there was one player in particular that you were sure was apart of your team. 

he sat away from everyone, his hands resting atop of his knees. he hadn't stopped fidgeting since you got here, his foot tapping against the carpet. he seemed nervous, but also like he was expecting something to happen. but definitely not for the reasons the citizens were waiting. he was waiting for an opportunity. eyes shifting from each person and around the room and by the way his hands would pat his pocket unconsciously made you believe that he already had something in mind. but with the rate things were going he wouldn't get that opportunity he was looking for any time soon. and as much as you hated it, as much as it made your stomach sick with the idea of someone dying because you allowed it, you thought about chishiya, and you really didn't want to leave this world without seeing him one last time. meaning you had to survive this. 

you got up from where you were sitting, "do you think they have a kitchen here? i'm kind of hungry." 

one of the girls from the group you arrived with spoke up, "there should be. but we can't trust you to go alone."

you gave her a smile, "then shall i take someone with me?" you turned towards the guy you were sure was tasked with the kill this round. "want to go find food with me?"

the teacher from earlier stood up from his own spot, "wait, we still don't know if you can be trusted. and why him in particular? are you both mafia? how do we know you aren't plotting something?"

you turned back around to face him, "remember, roles aren't allowed to be revealed until the end of the game. that includes mafia members. even if we were mafia, we couldn't possibly let the other know unless we want a game over. plus, if only one of us comes back then you'll know for sure that it was one of us. does that make you feel better?" you asked.

the teacher was silent for a moment before sighing in defeat, "don't take too long. and bring food for the rest of us so you don't have to take another trip."

you gave him a nod, and although confused, the boy followed you to the back where the kitchen should be. you began looking through the cabinets, surprised but pleased to actually find packaged food. 

you began placing things on the counter, him following suit with the one next to you, "so, you're apart of the mafia right?" you asked, not sparing him a glance. 

you heard him drop a bag of chips. you glanced at him from the corner of your eye and by the look on his face you were right, otherwise he wouldn't be so surprised or look so scared. he quickly masked the emotion though with an angry face. "the hell are you talking about?"

you hummed in response, "your foot won't stop fidgeting you know. the entire hour we spent in the lobby you looked like you were waiting for something. an opportunity to kill someone i presume?" 

"you're crazy." he said, irritation laced in his voice. 

"ah well, i guess technically you can't really tell me huh?" he was silent this time. you continued on talking, "i took a look at the map before the game started. the generator room is past those doors and to the right. if you turn off the lights, you can make use of whatever you have in your pocket."

his hands ghosted over his front pocket. so you were also right about that. 

"how do you know all this? and why are you helping me?" he asked.

you ceased your task, eyes staring at the palm of your hand. for a second you could feel chishiya, the way he'd intertwine his fingers with yours. the soft tracing of your skin when you'd get stressed. "you see..i have someone waiting for me. and i told you before right? i plan on winning this game." you gave him a sad smile, "you should hurry, while i get the rest of the food. and, try to give whoever you choose a quick death, okay?"

he didn't say anything. instead, he dashed through the doors, making use of the time he had left. the guilt you felt was overbearing and you took the time to take deep breaths. you really didn't want anyone to die, but you didn't know what else to do. with the rules it seemed like there was no way around them. and you doubt you'd be able to figure it out before anyone had to die. 

he came back as quickly as he was gone, helping you put the last of the food in a pot you had found and helping you carry it back to the lobby. 

"we come bearing gifts!" you chirp, placing the pot on top of the table where the phones once were. you had managed to forget about your break in character back in the kitchen, instead focusing on what was ahead. only a couple people actually came to go through the options while the rest stayed back.

you took a pack of cookies for yourself, your sweet tooth aching. after opening the package you were about to take a bite when the lights began to flicker before turning off completely, engulfing you all in total darkness. shouts erupted across the room, yelling at each other to turn it back on and questions about what had happened. it was scary, you'd admit. with the power out no one could see a thing. it was also the perfect time to kill someone.

suddenly you heard a scream. you couldn't tell who or where it was coming from, but it sounded like a male. 

"someone just poured something on me! what the hell is this? what?!" he yelled. 

"god, what is that smell?!" a girl shouted. 

"it smells like fucking gasoline! is it from the power?" another shouted. 

"no dumbass someone poured gasoline on me!" he shouted back. 

your heart stopped when you realized the guys intentions. gasoline? was he seriously going to-

your thought process stopped with you saw something light up from across the room. more screams fell from the boys mouth as you realized with regret that you were right. he was getting burned alive.

"get it off! get it off! fuck! it burns!" he yelled, trying in desperate but hopeless attempts to pat the fire away from his clothes. 

the people around him backed away, afraid of the fire being passed on to them. you cursed under your breath. the asshole had really set him on fire, even after you warned him to let him go in an easy way. your heart felt sick at the sound of his screams and the smell of burning flesh quickly engulfing the room. you hadn't wanted him to go this way. he hadn't chosen to be a citizen or to die in the first place. none of you did. 

with the light from the boy you were able to spot the fire extinguisher. you rushed to the glass case, kicking the glass until it shattered. you grabbed the red container, rushing to the male and spraying him with the contents.

even after the fire had disappeared he continued to scream in pain, now on the ground as he curled into a small ball. it was dark once more, and internally you were grateful since you were afraid of seeing the damage in full. his screams were hard to listen to enough. 

they quieted down however until fully stopping. you held your breath, trying to ignore the horrid smell. he didn't make any sound any longer. either he had passed out, or he had died. 

in the silence you heard your phones ding, and you quickly fished it out of your pocket. 

Ꭺ ᏴᎾᎠY ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏙᎾᎢᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢY ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ FᎡᎪᎷᎬ.

"did anyone see who did it?"

"you think we can see in this fucking darkness?"

"why did the lights go out in the first place?"

"like hell i know!"

"we have to vote someone out or it's game over!"

"just fucking choose someone already!"

"what about that girl! the one who got the food! she could've killed the generator instead!"

"dumbass she was with that guy there's no way she could've done that without him knowing!"

"then who the fuck do we vote out!"

"isn't it obvious! the guy who made us come down here in the first place! he probably messed with the generator before we got here or is working with someone!"

"it's not me! i didn't think this would happen!"

"bullshit! vote him out!"

all around the room people agreed. you couldn't say anything. you were still in shock with what had just happened. he had really killed him. this boy, he was really dead. you were really starting to realize what these people were capable of. and what they'd do in order to survive. 

suddenly you were also afraid. not of these people, but of yourself. how far would you go? was this whole thing, this whole game, will it even be worth it?

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎻᎪᏚ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎷᎪᏓᎾᎡᏆᎢY ᏙᎾᎢᎬᏚ FᎾᎡ, NᎪKᎪᎷᎪ ᎠᎪᏆᏚᏌKᎬ.

"no! no no no it's not me it's not me! are you all crazy!? you all are going to die you all-"

an explosion was heard and you flinched at the loud sound. more screams as you realized that that man, his only intention to keep everyone alive, was also dead. accused of something he did not do. 

ᎢᎻᎬ NᎬXᎢ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ ᏆN 2 ᎻᎾᏌᎡᏚ. FᎬᎬᏞ FᎡᎬᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎡᎬᎢᏌᎡN ᎢᎾ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏆNᎢᎬᎡᎷᏆᏚᏚᏆᎾN.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

no one left their rooms after that. even though the killing period was over and it was deemed safe for the next two hours everyone had decided to stay away from each other until forced out of their rooms during the next round. you found yourself doing the same, still shocked over the events that had occurred. 

was it your fault? you told him how to go about the killing, but you hadn't meant for him so go in such a horrid way. you even asked him to make the death peaceful and yet he still used the lighter. 

you glanced over at the closet, still shut from when you had first opened it. you felt even more sick and not able to stand it anymore you got up from the bed and left the room. no one else was in the hallway, no doubt also still trying to wrap their heads around the murder. as you walked to the elevator you realized since the generator was out it no longer worked. you sighed before heading to the stairs instead. 

by now your vision has adjusted to the darkness and thankfully the light from  
the windows provided some light from outside. you were able to find the door leading to the stairway easily. opening the door you were surprised to find the girl that you had defended before this whole game started sitting against the wall, knees brought up to her chest as she cried. 

your heart hurt for her. of course she had a right to cry. you were positive that's what everyone else in the building was doing right about now, and what you had been planing on doing if you weren't preoccupied on the fact that this girl needed someone. you closed the door behind you, cautiously walking up to her, "you okay?" you asked, crouching down. she seemed startled to see you, backing away a couple of inches. you sent her an apologetic smile, "sorry, i didn't mean to scare you. is it okay if i sit here?"

timidly, she nodded, and you took a seat, making sure there was distance as to not make her uncomfortable. she no longer was crying, instead sniffling as she wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her uniform. 

"this is your first game right?" you asked. 

another sniffle, "yeah. you?" 

"ah, it's my first game as well." you replied.

her eyes widened at this, "but you seem so calm! i totally thought you were a pro!"

you laughed, "im actually just as terrified as you. but i guess i'm better at hiding it." she nodded at your reason. "that guy hasn't bothered you again has he?" you asked.

her eyes widened in realization, "oh! it's you from before! i'm so sorry! i forgot to thank you." she exclaimed, ducking her head in a bow. 

you waved her off, "it's fine really. i'll let you in on a little secret though," you beckoned your hand for her to come closer. she scooted over so your knees were touching. "he's actually really scared right now, so if next time he tries to take out his anger on you just remind him of that." 

she giggled, and you laughed along with her. it was silent for a moment before she spoke up once more, "before all this, what were you doing?"

"hm? ah, i was actually at the summer festival." you smiled thinking about the event and the memories along with it. it was strange how even though that had happened only hours before, it all felt like a dream, or at least a lifetime ago. 

her eyes brightened at this, "oh! did you have a date?"

"my boyfriend actually." you answered. 

"is he here right now?" she asked. 

"thankfully not." you really were glad that chishiya wasn't here playing this game with you. even though you had no doubt he'd figure things out just as quick as you had the thought that you'd guys would be on different teams, competing against each other with only one able to survive made your heart hurt even more than it already did. you pushed the thought away however as you instead focused on the happy memories of him. believe it or not you actually missed his snarky attitude and the smirk he always wore on his face. thinking about those details of him made you miss chishiya even more, and you wished that this game would end soon so you could go back and feel his warmth. 

you and her talked for a little while more, you finding out that her name was ohashi kiyoko and that she did indeed go to high school. she talked about her school and friends, and you talked a little bit about yourself as well. soon enough you checked the time to see 30 minutes left on the timer for the intermission period.

"hey, i'm going to head back to my room. you be safe okay?" you said. you could tell her gloomy mood from before returned, but she still flashed you a bright smile. 

"you be safe too." she replied. 

you nodded, getting up and returning back to your room. you opened the door, going to the bed and flopping on top of it. 

you didn't mean to doze off, but you woke up to the sound of a ding coming from the phone. groggily, you sat up, squinting at the bright screen.

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎢᏔᎾ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 1.

you felt your blood run cold, and in the shock you dropped the phone. maybe you read the number wrong. maybe this really all was just some nightmare that you had yet to wake up from. but you knew, deep down inside that it was all a lie to yourself. you knew the reality of what those words meant. you had to kill someone, and if you didn't, it was game over. if you didn't, you wouldn't get to see chishiya ever again. if you didn't, he'd be all alone in this cruel world that you now live in. 

if you didn't you'd die. 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᎾᏟᎢᎾᎡ ᎻᎪᏚ ᎠᎬᏟᏆᎠᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏚᎪᏙᎬ, YᎪNᎪᏩᏆ ᎡᏆN. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎡᎬFᎡᎪᏆN FᎡᎾᎷ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ. 

with shaking legs you walked up to the closet, opening the doors and opening the box that sat tucked in the corner. you removed the lid and rummaged through the contents, finding the bottle you were looking for. 

you sat still for a moment, heart racing. you quickly checked your phone. you still had time before everyone had to leave their rooms.

you opened the door to your hotel room, running down the hallway as quietly as you could. when you got to the stairs you peeked in to make sure ohashi wasn't around before pushing it open, rushing down the steps. you rushed to the lobby, holding in your vomit as the smell of the decaying corpse still left there from last round filled your senses. with shaking hands you grabbed a water bottle that sat on the table and opened the bottle, crushing the contents to as little as you could before scooping it into the liquid. you closed the lid and pocketed the toxins. you had a plan for that later.

you rushed back upstairs, labored breaths as you struggled to reach the top. when you finally did, you were relieved to see no one was out of their rooms yet. you had made it in time.

you quickly went to your room, as quietly as you could opening and closing the door. you struggled to catch your breath as you slid down the door, waiting for a moment until finally, your phone dinged.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ. 

you heaved another big sigh before struggling to get to your feet, your legs exhausted from the unexpected exercise. you calmed yourself before discarding the toxins back in the box and finally exiting the room. 

as you came out you saw that two people were missing out of the 12 players left. it seemed like the man with anger issues from before and a woman that had been wearing business clothes weren't here. 

"are we going back to the lobby? to stick together like last round i mean." a girl in a bikini spoke up. 

"after that guy fucking caught on fire? no way, you all can go but i'm staying here." another person spoke up, this time a boy in baseball clothes.

"so what, we're just going to wait outside our room doors?" she shot back. 

"sounds good to me." he sat down in front of his door to prove his point.

everyone else soon followed. you sat down yourself, bringing your legs to your chest. you wondered where those two people were right about now. 

"we're missing two people aren't we? wonder where they are." you said, picking at the carpet under your feet. 

"i think they went to go get the food and water." the same girl in the bathing suit answered. 

you hummed in response. suddenly you heard loud chatter and all of you turned to see the two missing individuals walking down the hallway with the pot of said food and water. 

"be fucking grateful we went down there to get this. it smelled like fucking shit down there." the man in the suit said, dropping the container to the floor. people scrambled for the discarded contents. ohashi went over and grabbed two water bottles, coming over to sit down next to you. 

she extended out one of the bottles, "here." 

you thanked her and grabbed it, although you didn't move to drink it and instead placed it down by your side. 

"do you think we'll be able to beat this game?" she asked. you took notice of the way she fiddled with her fingers. now that the killing period had started, everyone was anxious. they thought that by sticking together they'd be able to quickly figure out who was a mafia member but that had proven to not be the case. splitting up was stupid, people could easily kill with backs turned and with the lights out you wouldn't even know who was behind it all. 

still, you gave her a smile, "i'm sure we will. even if a game is difficult it doesn't mean it's impossible to beat." 

she smiled at your answer, "you're right. you know, i wish i was as smart as you. and as cool. when that guy," she paused, clutching her skirt tightly, "when that guy was burning, you took action so quickly. you knew what to do in that situation. it was really admirable" she praised.

despite her kind words you knew it was all lies. what you did wasn't heroic. it was your fault the opportunity had been created in the first place. the victim might as well had been deemed dead by you. 

uhm.." another pause, and she looked up at you with a determined look in her eyes, "if something like that ever happens to me, promise me you'll protect me!" 

you stared at her, shocked. you hadn't expected for her to think of you in that way. if she had any idea....still, you gave her a soft smile, patting her head affectionately, "of course! you can count on me!"

she beamed, wrapping her arms around you in a quick hug. you were once again surprised at the girl's actions. as you returned it you began thinking. about how strange it was. about the tight feeling in your chest. about how this girl reminded you so much of your sister in that moment. she quickly retracted her arms, sending you another smile before grabbing her water bottle and getting up to walk back to her own room door.

you watched her leave before returning your gaze back to the carpet. the tight feeling in your chest wouldn't go away. you didn't think that you'd miss your sister this much. despite the strained relationship you had with her you still mourned over her death. and ohashi, with the way she seemingly looked up to you made you wish for a second that your bond with her had been better before she had died. 

suddenly a scream was heard through the hall and you looked up to see everyone backing away from a body on the ground. you got up and rushed towards the group of people, watching in horror at the scene unfolding before you. 

no. no no this couldn't be happening. she was just find a second ago. she was just smiling and laughing right before she left. why? why her? why did she have to chose the one you had tampered with?!

you dropped to your knees, holding her so she was faced down towards the ground. her labored breaths as she vomitted filled your ears and the smell filled your nose. she can't die like this. you promised her. you promised her you'd protect her. 

so why?

you turned towards the others, screaming at them to help. they just stood there in shock, not one person making a move to help. you cursed them under your breath as you returned your attention to the girl. 

"hey! hey you're gonna be fine okay? listen to me you're going to be fine!" you screamed.

your heart dropped to your stomach when her vomitting stopped and she lay limp. still in your arms you began shaking her, yelling at her to cut it out and wake up. but you knew it was over. her life had been taken the moment she drank from that water. 

tears rushed down your cheeks as your phone dinged, indicating that the judgement period would commence. you tuned the words out however, too preoccupied on the fact that this girl, someone who had their whole life ahead of her, who had trusted you, died. by your own hands no less.

the muffled shouts of accusations and the sound of an explosion and screams. but not one sound mattered. no, the only sound you cared for was the silence of her heart. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

after being dragged away from her body the others had moved her down to the lobby with the others. despite the smell and the sight you had gone down during the intermission, laying spare bedsheets over their corpses. you had now reached hers, and you stared for a moment. she was pale, the pain she had been in during her final moments painted on her face as her lifeless eyes stared seemingly nowhere. you crouched down and closed them. you didn't want to be reminded of what they once were.

you heard footsteps come up behind you as you layed the white sheet over her body and over her face. you didn't look back to see who it was. you already knew.

"they voted out that one girl who helped bring the food." he stated. 

you pushed yourself up, "i know."

he was silent for a moment, staring at her body before looking away, "you guys seemed close." 

you let out a shaky breath, "the person who killed her is a monster."

уоц'яё Д мои₴тёя.

you turned around, not even congratulating yourself on the fact that you had been right on who it was. instead you left the lobby as a whole, now hating the fact that she reminded you of your sister. 

and how they had shared the same fate all because of you.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё?


	4. ⌈ 3 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

"you're not the daughter i expected."

"i'm a terrible mother aren't i? isnt that what you're saying?"

"you should be thankful of the opportunities i'm giving you."

"maybe if you were more like your sister i wouldn't have to speak to you like this."

"you shouldn't feel that way. aren't i allowed to praise my child when she's doing good? it's not my fault you turned out like this."

"why couldn't your sister be my first child, i would've stopped having children then." 

"god just get over it."

"i never said anything like that. all you're doing is twisting the words in my mouth."

"i'm gonna be just like you!"

"i can't stay here anymore."

"your sister died in the hospital last night."

"it's all your fault."

it's all your fault.

you curled your fingers, bunching up the hair gathered at your scalp. why'd you have to remember all this? you had forgotten all about your life before you came to japan and started college. so why now? what was the point? remembering the things your mother said to you growing up and snippets of the phone call months ago, it seemed pointless. you didn't care about that anymore. at least, you thought you didn't. there was no reason to dwell on it since it had happened so long ago, and you've already properly mourned your sister's death. so how long have you been crying for, and why?

you snapped out of your thoughts when the lights in your room flickered to life, illuminating the once dark space. you gazed at it curiously. had someone fixed the generator? you don't remember there being a mechanic as one of the players. hastily you wipe away the tears staining your cheeks and stood up from the sitting position you had previously been in, about to go out to investigate when your phone dinged.

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 2.

so it was finally the last remaining mafia member's turn. by now you still weren't sure who was the mystery last member on your team, but you did have someone in mind. there was also the fact that after this round only two remained until the results would be announced. how much longer until you had to kill someone again? flashes of ohashi went through your mind and your stomach began to hurt. now wasn't the time to think about that.

you opened the door to see the rest of the players also gathered in the hallway. they were all staring at the ceiling lights, wondering who had been the one to turn them back on. your questions were answered when the sound of running footsteps filled the hallway, revealed to be a male with a big smile on his face.

"i managed to fix the electricity! we should be safer now that the lights are working again." he shouted. 

sighs of relief passed through each person's breath. you let one out yourself, but more so from exhaustion. even if the lights were back on people were desperate, you knew that personally, meaning a kill was inevitable, lights on or off. you turned to go back to your room when someone put a hand on your shoulder.

you tensed under the harsh grip, looking over your shoulder to see the angry business man. you sent him a fake smile, "please take your hands off of me before i hurt you myself."

his eyes glared at you, his grip tightening, "where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"hm? isn't it obvious?" you asked. you really wished he'd get his hands off of you.

"you think i'm fucking stupid!?" he yelled.

"i'm afraid if i answer that your feelings will be hurt so i think this time i'll keep my opinion to myself." you answered. 

his grip tightened to the point where it was starting to hurt. you tried your best not to wince. "you can't go back in there."

"why not? the rules state i can spend as much time in here before the killing period." you reply. 

you felt the small tremble in his hands, why was he nervous? "we don't know what the hell you're doing in there. for all we know you could be prepping for the next kill." ah, so that's why. he was trying to cover it up.

"and why don't you tell this to all the other players? you seem to only be suspicious of me when in reality we are all suspicious here. even you." you rose an eyebrow, asking him to reply to that.

he opened his mouth and was about to say more when several dings sounded throughout the hallway.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ. 

"guess you got lucky." you said, giving him another smile before shrugging his hand off and walking down the hallway towards the elevator. 

"hey! where the fuck do you think you're going?" he shouted.

you turned around so you were walking backwards. "clearly sticking together isn't working. if you all need me, i'll be downstairs." 

you swiftly turned back around, clicking the button to go down and entering the elevator. you gave everyone a final wave as the doors closed. as soon as you heard the soft hum of the elevator moving you let out a breath you didn't realize you've been holding. there was no doubt about it. that man was also apart of the mafia. they way he seemed nervous unlike the previous two rounds and pinning the blame on you gave it away. you let out another sigh. of course your luck he'd be on your team. there was also the fact that this round was his turn, and you felt sorry for whoever he decided to target. 

the elevator doors dinged, signaling you had arrived at the lobby. you got out, trying your best not to look at the corpses left on the ground and instead heading over to whatever empty room you could find far away from that place.

їт'₴ Дll уоця fДцlт.

your hands tightened, your stomach feeling sick all over again and your throat now dry. unfortunately for you they had thrown out all the food and water incase it had also been contaminated. smart choice since the other players on your team could've used that idea to their advantage. 

you opened a door that lead to what looked like the laundry room, clothes laid on baskets and the faint smell of detergent filling your senses. it was definitely a better smell than the rotting one in the lobby. as for the clothes, you didn't bother trying to go through them, instead sitting down against the wall and pulling your knees up to your chest. 

after a while you decided it was too quiet. sure you liked the silence, but right now with the thoughts filling your head and the memories that had resurfaced you really wished you had music or even a book to help drown them out. you didn't like not being able to distract yourself from whatever it was you were feeling. you needed something to preoccupy yourself with, that's how you'd always been. when with the other players you focused on gaining their trust. with chishiya, you focused on everything that was him, and with school well, you just focused on the work you had due that night. 

but here, the only thing you could think about was the games and everything that had just happened and that was something you definitely didn't want to remember. each murder, each person you witnessed die because of you made you closer and closer to breaking. you thought you were strong, but here? maybe you were the weakest one among them all. 

you rested your chin on your knees, focusing your attention on the soft hum of the lights to distract yourself. it wasn't much, but it helped keep you calm until you fell asleep. 

мои₴тёя.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you startled awake to the deep voice of someone in the room with you. "fucking finally. you're really hard to find." 

you slowly opened your eyes to meet the same man that had tried desperately to keep you from going into your room. was he following you or something? you also took notice of the closed door. you swear it had been open when you entered this room. 

"ah, that was the point." you mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. 

"you know, you really piss me off." he said, stepping closer so he was now in front of you, looking down at you from his standing position. 

"it's a natural talent." you gave him a smile, resting your cheek in the palm of your hand. your eyes drifted to the hand behind his back. what could he possibly be hiding? 

"then this will be all the more enjoyable." he returned your smile, but it was not one out of mockery like yours had been. no, his was sinister, like whatever he was about to do he'd get real joy out of it. 

the smile fell off of your face when you noticed the knife he removed hidden behind his back, the sharp metal glistening in the warm glow of the room. your eyes widened and you quickly moved out of the way when he lunged forward, swinging it in your direction. you scrambled towards the basket of clothes, throwing it at his face before dashing towards the door. 

"fucking bitch!" he screamed, struggling to remove the shirt now plastered on his head.

you opened the door only to run into the girl in the bikini who had explained the whole concept of games to you in the first place. 

"what are you-" her eyes widened in fear when she saw the knife held in his grasp, her whole body trembling as she screamed, "oh my god!"

you threw a quick look over your shoulder to see he had successfully removed the piece of clothing. without a second thought you grabbed her hand, dragging her along as the two of you ran down the hall, the loud thump of his footsteps chasing after your own. was he crazy? by now his cover had been blown, and you doubt more than one player was allowed to die by a mafia member each round. so what was the point? what was he trying to achieve by chasing after the both of you? he could've played it off but instead he's still trying to pursue the target that had ended up being you. you let out a soft groan in frustration. you couldn't think while trying to run for your life.

"oh my god he's gonna kill us!" she cried.

"just keep running and don't look back!" you yelled back. you turned the corner and clicked the button for the elevator doors repeatedly, pushing her in when they had opened and once more clicking the button for them to close. when the doors were close to meeting you were about to breathe a sigh of relief when the sharp object wedged in between the space, causing the elevator doors to open once more.

she screamed when he lunged forward, tacking you to the ground. with as much strength as you could muster you grabbed his hands wrapped around the handle, forcing the knife away from your face. by now the elevator doors had closed and you grunted in frustration. he was much stronger than you, and you weren't sure how much longer you could hold out against this war of strength. 

"press the top floor!" you screamed at her, heart beating fast as the knife gradually got closer and closer. if you could just hold out for a little while longer the other players were sure to hear when you guys got to the level they were on.

suddenly the elevator started moving, causing him to lose balance and loosen his grip ever so slightly. he fell forward, and you bit back a scream at the knife, although away from your face, now digging into the skin of your upper arm. before he could regain his balance you pushed him off, hand holding the wound as you and the girl backed into a corner of the small space. 

he growled, standing up and rushing forward once more. you and her backed out of the way as a result.

"stand fucking still!" he screamed, going for you once more and you ducked as he swung the knife, kneeing him in the crotch. 

he howled in pain, one hand moving down there as you returned with the girl, her screams and cries piercing your ears as she clutched onto your other arm. when you heard the elevator ding he rushed forward one last time, and when you had moved out of the wave the object hit someone else instead.

you stared, wide eyed at the girl who had failed to move out of the way. the metallic sharp edge pierced through her chest, shock written on her face as she slowly stared down at the blood soaking her bikini top. the man let go of the handle, backing away in shock.

the doors opened, and all three of you looked over to see the rest of the players outside the elevator, watching the scene before them.

the man stumbled out, still clutching his private area as he pointed at you. "it was her! she just attacked me out of no where and she stabbed that girl!"

your eyes widened even more. was he being serious? so that's why he had tried to kill you despite the other girl having seen the attempts. he had been planning to pin the blame on her. but that hasn't worked out the way he wanted to, and now he was accusing you. "cut the bullshit." you showed them the cut on your arm, "he attacked me in the laundry room."

everyone sent weary glances at him causing him to fume in anger, "you're seriously going to believe her? it was self defense!"

one of the girls you had arrived with stepped forward, rushing to the girl gasping for breath. "ren! ren! who did it?!"

still gasping for breath, ren shakily lifted up her arm, pointing towards the guilty party. 

he was getting nervous, stumbling over his words, "s-she's delusional! she's about to die anyways!"

everyone backed away from him. you heard the girl beside her scream and you noticed ren's eyes become glossy, hand now limp by her side. she screamed at her to wake up as dings from the phones drowned out her cries.

Ꭺ ᏴᎾᎠY ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏙᎾᎢᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢY ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ FᎡᎪᎷᎬ.

the girl, still clutching onto ren, screamed at him, "it was you wasn't it?! you killed her!"

his eyes widened, a panicked look in his eyes at the sight of everyone agreeing with the girl. "you're all wrong! i didn't kill her!" he reached forward and grabbed the kid dressed in a baseball uniform, hands gripping his collar as he shook him "do you want to fucking die? 'cause that's what gonna fucking happen if you vote me out!"

"cut it out man!" the kid yelled out, his own hands going out to try and pry the other's off of him. 

"vote him out already!" the girl still holding ren shouted.

"shut the fuck up!" he shouted, holding his hand up in a fist as if he was going to punch the poor boy still in his grasp.

"give it up man! everyone knows you killed her!" he shouted back, eyes flicking back and forward between the mans face and the fist he still held clenched. "i-i vote for him!"

"i vote for him too!" the other player in the elevator shouted, and all around everyone else agreed.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎻᎪᏚ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎷᎪᏓᎾᎡᏆᎢY ᏙᎾᎢᎬᏚ FᎾᎡ, YᎪᎷᎪᎷᏌᎡᎪ ᏚᎪᏴᏌᎡᎾ.

"no! no no fuck! fuck you all!" he screamed, letting go of the boy and beginning to tug on the collar around his neck, "how the fuck do i get this fucking thing off?!" 

the players backed up as he stepped towards them. he turned around to look at you, and his face changed from fear to anger. "you...this is all your fucking fault!" he stepped towards the elevator, and on instinct you scooter closer to the girl, shielding her from whatever he was planning on doing during his final moments. 

he was at the doors, about to take another step when the beeping on his collar quickened to the point where it finally exploded, blood splaying everywhere as he dropped to the floor at your feet. the girl next to you screamed, still clutching tightly to ren's body.

ᎢᎻᎬ NᎬXᎢ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ ᏆN 2 ᎻᎾᏌᎡᏚ. FᎬᎬᏞ FᎡᎬᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎡᎬᎢᏌᎡN ᎢᎾ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏆNᎢᎬᎡᎷᏆᏚᏚᏆᎾN.

"he's gone." one of the other players spoke, and you realized it was the boy in baseball clothes. he stumbled against the wall, sliding down as he let out a sigh of relief while ghosting a hand over his own collar.

you watched as the other players did the same, the air lighter now that the man was gone. you couldn't blame them, despite him being on your team you couldn't stand him, so having him gone was making things easier for everyone. 

you directed your attention to the girl next to you, tears still wetting her cheeks as she whimpered quietly. your heart hurt for her. ren, despite them being suspicious of each other, you could tell they had been good friends, maybe even before they had arrived here. you placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, giving her a soft smile. 

"im sorry...i tried to help but..." you trailed off. eyes now looking at ren herself and the knife piercing her skin. if only you had been strong enough to fend for the both of you.

щну Cоцldи'т уоц ₴Дvё нёя¿

she sniffled, gently placing her down on the ground. she brushed her fingers across her eyelids, making it look like she had been sleeping. she got up without a word, leaving the elevator and brushing past the others until entering her room.

you got up yourself, hand still clasped over the bleeding wound on your arm. you left the elevator about to retreat to your own room when a girl stopped you. 

"uhm, your arm. its bleeding." she says, pointing to the injury.

you looked at her before glancing at it. you gave her a small smile, waving her off, "ah, it's fine. i'll patch it up in my room."

you gave her a small wave as you entered your room, letting out a breath once the door had fully closed. you grit your teeth when you remove your hand to access the wound. luckily for you it didn't cut deep, but it did sting. also lucky for you your boyfriend was a medical student, so you knew a couple things when it came to these sort of injuries.

you went to the bathroom, searching the cabinets for any sort of first aid. you let out a puff of air when you weren't able to find one, so you instead opted to clean it with water, biting your lip at the contact. 

you watched the water swirl down the drain until turning it off, patting down the area with a towel. it didn't look like it was going to bleed anymore but you still didn't want it to get infected. you looked around, trying to find anything that could serve as a bandaid.

you settled with a ripped piece of clothing found in the drawers, wrapping it and then tying it around your skin. your fingers ghosted over the fabric. you really had been right about the intensity of this game. someone on your own team had tried to kill you after all.

your hands tighten, fingernails digging into the skin of your palm and the bad feeling in your stomach returning. now that things had calmed down you were finally realizing the events that had just happened. two more people. two more people just died. how many more would there be?

by your hands no less?

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ FᎾᏌᎡ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 1.

you hands gripped the cellphone, knuckles turning white. so it was your turn again. 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᎾᏟᎢᎾᎡ ᎻᎪᏚ ᎠᎬᏟᏆᎠᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏚᎪᏙᎬ, (NᎪᎷᎬ) (ᏞᎪᏚᎢ NᎪᎷᎬ). ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎡᎬFᎡᎪᏆN FᎡᎾᎷ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ.

your confusion grew at the words displayed on the screen. the doctor was still alive? and had chosen to save you no less. why? you had done nothing to be rendered safe from being mafia. there was also the fact that you still didn't know who the doctor was. all you knew was that the rules stated that they could only save their self every other round, and you were positive that he saved himself the first round and third round as well, meaning every time it was your turn it'd just be a random player he decided to save. but, if that were the case, that meant the other mafia member still alive had the name for the doctor. you decided you'd ask him about that later.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ.

you got up from where you had been sitting against the door, opening it to see only one other player in the hallway. you glanced around, waiting a moment to see if everyone else would leave their rooms soon, but no one did. what would happen if you didn't listen to the rules and stayed in your room during the killing period? would it be a game over?

you looked at the one other person, sending him a questioning glance. he just shrugged, sliding down the door to rest. 

you decided to head downstairs, clicking the button for the elevator and entering. the soft hum of it moving filled your ears and the ding that came indicating that you had arrived did as well. you exited, going in the opposite direction from the laundry room you had been in last round and instead deciding to go through the kitchen.

no one else was here so you decided to stay for the time being. you hoisted yourself up onto the counter, folding your legs so you were sitting cross legged and leaned back, resting your head against the cool cabinet. 

it's been about 8 hours since the game has started. you weren't sure what time it was, but you knew soon the sun would be coming up. you wondered if chishiya's game had ended yet. was he okay? no, you shouldn't think like that. this was chishiya you were talking about. he'd be able to find his way through any situation, no matter how difficult. 

your head shot up when you heard something. you glanced around the kitchen, trying to find the source. all the faucets were off. so where was the sound of running water coming from?

you jumped down from the counter, heading to the back door leading out of the kitchen. you peeked around the doors, looking right and left before going right. the closer you got to the first door the more you realized that the sound of water was coming from the generator room.

you opened the door, the sound intensifying. lucky for you there were stairs preventing the water from reaching the floor you were currently on. unlucky for the person down there.

it was the same person who had fixed the lights, the water hitting his knees as he rushed from one side of the room to the next.

"what are you doing?" you yelled, him looking up at the sound of your voice.

"somethings wrong with the pump! i'm trying to fix it before the water messes with the electricity again!" he yelled back.

you heart started racing. this was stupid. if he stayed down there eventually a cable or something would hit the water and anyone in there would be killed on the spot.

killed. that's right. if you did something, anything that would trigger it to happen, you could easily play off his death as an accident. 

he noticed you still stood by the doorway, "hey! what are you doing? you need to get out of here it's dangerous!" 

you looked at him, your stomach churning at the thought of what you were about to do. 

"i'm sorry." you muttered, backing out of the room.

"what? hey wait! what are you doing?!" he yelled, rushing forward.

you shut the door, locking it so he couldn't get out. your hands were shaking as you backed up against the wall, trying to drown out the muffled screams and shouts coming from the other side.

were you really doing this again? were you really letting another person die? after you had just wondered how many would be killed, were you really letting this happen?

нё щД₴ GоїиG то dїё ДиущДу₴.

you smacked yourself on the forehead, forcing yourself to forget about it. what's done is done. if you didn't do anything now then you'd die eventually once the killing period had ended. you had seen the players who got voted out. you didn't want to know what it felt like to die like that.

you pushed yourself up from the wall and rushed down the hall, slowing down once you got to the end as to not look suspicious in case you bumped into anybody. you turned the corner while taking a deep breath only to run into another player.

you mumbled a sorry and was about to continue on your way when they placed a hand on your shoulder. 

you tensed under the touch. you turned around to see the only other mafia besides yourself still alive. "ah, it's you." you got lucky it wasn't one of the citizens.

"what are you doing down here?" he asked.

you gave him a smile, "just walking around. it's a nice hotel you know."

"right. uhm." he scratched the back of his neck, "the others are looking for you."

you titled your head in confusion. what could they possibly want from you? "really? hm, we shouldn't keep them waiting then." 

he nodded and together the both of you walked through the hotel until finding yourselves at the lobby. questions swirled through your mind, but you tried your best to ignore the wave of guilt washing over your body at seeing the ones laid out on the ground.

6 people. that was close to half of the players gone. 

"you guys called?" you asked, shifting your attention between the other three players in the room. weren't there two more people missing though? you realized it was the baseball player as well as the guy who had been the only one in the hallway from before that were not accounted for.

"we're still waiting for ryota, yoshiyuki and...i forgot his name." the girl who had been with ren in the elevator spoke up. she still seemed sad, her eyes rimmed red, most likely from all the crying she had done. 

"oh, the baseball player and the mechanic?" you guessed. 

"mechanic? oh, i guess he did mention that when we talked." she said. 

a ding sounded throughout the room, and you all shared glances with each other, wondering what was going on now.

Ꭺ ᏴᎾᎠY ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏙᎾᎢᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢY ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ FᎡᎪᎷᎬ.

suddenly you heard a scream, and all of you turn towards the noise. ryota ran into the lobby, breathing heavily as he pointed wordlessly in the direction of where he had come from. you took notice of the panic in his eyes and the way his hands were shaking. 

"someone...someone was found in the generator room!" he managed to get out.

the other players glanced at each other in unease. mostly everyone had been in the lobby, so who out of the missing players had killed somebody? you walked over to him, patting his back in reassurance. "take us there."

he nodded, and the rest of the players followed you as you rushed towards the room. once you had arrived you peeked in through the open door and saw that the water level had now reached the stairs, almost to the top of the first floor. you directed your attention however to the body face down floating in the water. 

"i saw him earlier. he said he was trying to fix the water pump." the bikini girl said quietly, arms hugging herself and running up and down her arms. 

"was it an accident?" and older women asked. 

"what the fuck do you mean? someone drowned him didn't they?" the college student stated. everyone looked up to see him walking down the hall, hands stuffed in his front pockets. everyone shared unsure glances with each other.

"and where were you? how do you know how he died?!" another girl in a bikini asked.

his face still held an angry expression, "you guys talk too fucking loud. and i was upstairs, ryota here can vouch for me."

"you're forgetting he's in a generator room. the electricity merged with the water could've killed him." you commented.

уоц кїllёd нїм. 

"we don't have time for this!" the baseball player held up his phone showing that the time left to vote somebody out was only 3 minutes left.

"then let's pick straws." everyone turned to look at you. you tried your best to calm your beating heart. "by now i doubt there's any mafia members left, maybe one. if we can't vote someone out, draw straws to pick someone."

"what the fuck? you want us to leave this all to chance!?" he yelled.

"this whole game is up to chance. i'm just trying to find a better way to vote someone out then just pointing fingers at innocent people." you retorted.

"and you think we aren't innocent?" he asked, eyes narrowed at you. 

"if my draw is the shortest, then i'll gladly accept that fate." you said, clasping your hands together to stop them from shaking.

his eyes stared at you. he was scared. you'd by lying if you said you weren't scared as well. 

"let's do it." the girl in the bikini spoke up.

everyone else agreed and the baseball player glanced around at everyone in disbelief before sighing in defeat, giving you a reluctant nod.

with just two minutes left you rushed to the kitchen, rummaging through the drawers until you found the plastic straws. you grabbed enough for everyone before rushing back, the scissors you had also grabbed on the way cutting one short. you stuffed them all in your hand so it looked as if they were all the same length and held it out to the bikini girl. 

"wait! how do we know you don't know which one is short?" he asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

you gave him a smile, "i'll pick last then. is that better for you?"

he grumbled as he backed away, letting the girl pick the first straw. with shaking hands she grabbed one, a big sigh of relief escaping her lips at the length of the straw. she had been spared another round.

you held out the pack to the baseball player, and he also came out with a long enough length. the third to pick was the older woman, and everyone's eyes widened upon seeing she had chosen the shortest one.

she looked scared, but she also seemed content with the fact that she had been chosen. you pocket the straws and place a hand on her shoulder. she looked at you and gave you a sad smile. 

"i guess my time has come." she spoke calmly, but you noticed the shaking of her hands and the small tremble of her lips. 

"i'm sorry..." and you were. every person, every player who had died in this game, you felt sorry that they had to go in a place like this.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎷᎪᏓᎾᎡᏆᎢY ᏙᎾᎢᎬᏚ, ᎷᎪᎢᏚᏌᎾKᎪ KᏆᎷᏆ. 

"i hope..that the citizens win." she gave another sad smile before the collar beeped until exploding.

everyone was quiet as her body fell to the floor in a soft thud. your stomach hurt, and you turned away from the players to walk down the hall. 

you weren't sure how much longer you could last.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you had one hour left during the intermission and in that time you had decided to explore the other floors of the hotel. it was a good distraction, admiring the decor of each room and even walking around the expensive suites made for the rich. most rooms were empty, beds neatly made and everything pristine. others however, you could tell had been occupied before the occupants had disappeared, clothes and suitcases in the wardrobe and makeup bags left in the bathroom. 

you entered another room, seeing that this one had a family based on the stuffed animals on one of the beds. you walked over and picked it up, running your fingers through the soft fabric. you smiled, remembering your own stuffed animals sitting on your bed at home. you also remembered the stuffed cat chishiya had won you during the festival, and you hoped he was taking good care of it after you had given it to him before leaving. 

you let out a sigh. you really missed the blonde right now that it was making your heart hurt. right now he was the only reason you continued on during these death games.

another hour passed and the killing period started. you found yourself back at the top floor in a different wing still looking around. you also found out that certain rooms had balconies in them, and you decided to spend some time up there enjoying the cool night air. you didn't even realize it till now but when you looked closely the streets were littered with plants growing from the side walks, and the stars were more prominent than before, even more so then the ones you had witnessed earlier that night. 

it made you wonder, just how much time has actually passed? 

you took notice of the way the sky was lightening however, meaning that it was almost early morning and the sun would rise soon. just this round left, and you'd get to go back to chishiya. 

you left the room, the clicking of the door fully shutting as you put your hands in your pockets. you walked down the hall to see the one and only mafia member 3, the one who had been assigned the kill this round. you watched him walk towards you, hands shaking and he kept looking over his shoulder. 

"hey stranger." he jumped at the sound of your voice, but he exhaled a breath at seeing it was just you.

"you scared the hell out of me." he said, irritation laced in his voice.

you peeked around his shoulder, "got something to hide?"

his ears reddened as he looked back quickly before settling his eyes on you, "no."

you hummed in response. "it's written all over  
your face you know."

this time his cheeks grew red and he avoided your eyes, "shut up."

you were about to comment further when you heard a scream. your eyes widen. 

Ꭺ ᏴᎾᎠY ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏙᎾᎢᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢY ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ FᎡᎪᎷᎬ.

he once more looked behind him at the source of the sound, "looks like they found the body."

the body? the killing period had just started and he already killed someone? you both rush to the doors leading to the stair well to see the college student your age pointing at the dead body.

"she..she just- oh god i think i'm gonna be sick." he slapped a hand over his mouth, turning away to face the wall as he heaved.

the last two players entered the room, the girl in the bikini dropping to her knees, "akemi..not you too.."

"she was pushed off the stairs." you voiced your realization out loud, the other players looked at the dead girl in pity. 

"i was with kohaku the entire time." the baseball player stated, said girl giving a numb nod in response. he turned his gaze towards you, "and you guys? what were you doing before all this?"

"i was with him the entire time too. did a little exploring." you nodded your head towards the male beside you. his eyes widened a fraction before he nodded along.

"then that means..." kohaku trailed off, and everyone stared at the boy who had one hand on the wall for support. 

he looked up upon seeing everyone's gaze on him and his eyes widened, "you guys can't possibly..it wasn't me!"

"you were right here when the body was discovered and the only one who wasn't accounted for during the killing period." the baseball player spoke.

"someone's lying then! i didn't do it man!" he yelled. 

"you got an alibi then? 'cause i'm willing to fucking hear it." he replied.

the college student stared at you all in disbelief, "n-no..i don't...but that doesn't mean-" 

"i vote for you." he said. 

"no! you guys! you gotta believe me!" he rushed forward to you, one hand now clasped around your wrist. "you believe me, don't you?"

you looked away, not wanting to see his expression filled with desperation, "i also vote for you."

"no no no no! no! you!" he rushed to kohaku. "please!"

"get your hands off of me! i vote for him too!" she yelled, pushing him away.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎷᎪᏓᎾᎡᏆᎢY ᏙᎾᎢᎬᏚ, ᎢᎾᎷᏆNᎪᏩᎪ ᎢᎪKᎪᏚᎻᏆ.

he laughed in disbelief, eyes shifting between the four of you remaining, "you're all going to hell." he said before his collar exploded. 

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ 5 ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬᎠ. ᎡᎾᏞᎬᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎬᏙᎬᎪᏞᎬᎠ. ᎠᎾᏟᎢᎾᎡ, ᎢᎪKᎬᎷᎾᎢᎾ ᎡYᎾᎢᎪ. ᎠᎬᎢᎬᏟᎢᏆᏙᎬ, FᏌᏓᏆNᎾ KᎪYᎾ. ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡᏚ, (NᎪᎷᎬ) (ᏞᎪᏚᎢ NᎪᎷᎬ), ᎷᏌᎢᎾ YᎪᏚᏌᏚᎻᏆ ᎪNᎠ YᎪᎷᎪᎷᏌᎡᎪ ᏚᎪᏴᏌᎡᎾ. ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡᏚ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ, ᎢᏔᎾ. ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ, ᎢᏔᎾ.

ryota and kohaku looked at you and yasushi, shock written all over their faces.

"you...you guys were mafia?!" he asked, but more so to himself. 

you looked at him in pity, "surprise?"

"i..i trusted you!" he yelled. 

you gave him a sad smile, "that's where you went wrong."

"fuck! no! no no no this can't be true!" his hands gripped his hair in frustration.

the girl began crying, her tears staining her cheeks, "my friends...did you kill them too!?"

you didn't answer her. 

"you're a heartless monster!" she screamed. 

your stomach churned at the word. 

ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏔᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ. ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ.

her crying intensified, and you noticed the way ryota's body shook with his own sobs. 

"fuck man...fuck!" he screamed, hands around his collar as they beeped. he gave you one last look, the gaze imprinted in your mind before the collars exploded. they both drop dead to the floor. 

ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ, ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎾ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᎾᎡᏚ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏔᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏚᏌᏢᏢᏞY YᎾᏌ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ Ꭺ ᏙᏆᏚᎪ. 

the screen changed to show off nine hearts, the color of each heart disappearing after a ding. but what did they mean by visa? could that be how long you had left to live? was there any other way to earn this?

another beep echoed through the stairwell and your collars unlocked themselves around your neck. you took it off, staring at the device before throwing it to the ground. 

without a word exchanged you both exit the hotel, and you're surprised to see a table sitting outside with a single card on it. you go over and pick it up. of course, a nine of hearts card. 

"we won." yasushi said, almost in disbelief. 

you finally couldn't take it anymore. you dropped to your knees, hands shaking. we're you crying? you reached up a hand to feel your cheeks were now wet. but why? out of relief? to mourn the people you had killed? 

dо уоц ёvёи dё₴ёяvё то Cяу¿

"they're right." you choked out. he looked over at you and you could tell through the blur of your tears that he felt bad too. "we're monsters. we killed them, all of them, just so we could live another day. is that who we are?! is that what we live for?! those people...they had lives too...they had families and friends, people who cared about them...how did we just decide that our lives mattered more then theirs?!" 

he stayed quiet, but you caught the tears welling up in his eyes. you exhaled a big breath to calm yourself, hurriedly wiping the tears away with the sleeve of your arm. you got up from the ground, staring at the card for a moment longer before putting it in your pocket. you had a feeling it was left there for a reason. 

"i'm leaving." you state.

yasushi looks up at you, "where are you gonna go?" 

"i..i have someone that i need to go back to." you had to find chishiya. you had to know that he was okay. 

yasushi nodded, and you gave him one last glance before walking away towards the car you had arrived in.

it was empty, quiet, unlike before when those girls had chatted the entire drive here. you settled into the drivers seat, about to turn the key when you realized something.

you groaned, smacking your head against the steering wheel as you gripped the sides, "what am i doing. i don't even know how to drive." you mumbled to yourself. 

you'd have to walk your way back to the beach. you get out of the small car, taking the keys and closing the door. you figured when you got back to the beach you'd let someone experienced take the car back. you glanced around the area, letting out a big sigh. you knew the way back, but it'd be a long walk before you actually got there, and your body was already feeling the exhaustion of the long hours of the game. 

you just hoped that there was a bed you could fall asleep on, and a certain blonde already waiting for you.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	5. ⌈ 4 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ! 

there were a couple of things you had figured out during the duration of your first game.

for one, people had no choice when participating in games. the visa you received once clearing it made it obvious that once your days were up you'd have to throw yourself into another game less you wanted to die. you had also figured this out pretty quickly based on the amount of people there who had knowledge of the games, death and all, and yet had still willingly walked into the venue. that also brought you to the other thing. people couldn't leave. you hadn't seen it yourself, but as you walked back you did notice the lasers that had flashed in the sky, the bright red glow disappearing just as quick as it had appeared. it made sense since the players who feared the heart games hadn't left despite the announcement or during the game itself.

there was also the basic things, like the type of games ren had told you about and the difficulty level based on the number. unfortunately you didn't know what type of game you were getting yourself into until registration closed, meaning you just had to hope for the best. you didn't know if there were face cards, you had only participated in one game after all, but you figured it wasn't likely since face cards hold higher value than the regular cards in the deck, and based on the way people reacted through the nine of hearts game, those numbers were as high as you could get.

you were a little frustrated at the little to no information you knew however. you still didn't know who was behind it all and why you were here in the first place, but you figured at least you knew more than when you first arrived. it was a start to figuring out how to survive in this weird world and find your way back to home. which brought you to another thought that had been itching in the back of your mind. you had only seen it briefly while on the balcony during the fifth round, but there was no doubt about it now that you were personally walking through the streets. tokyo seems to have taken a drastic change from the one you knew just yesterday. the plants growing and the layer of dust as if this place hasn't been touched in years was more prominent and the question you thought of back then resurfaced. how is it that this place you came to only last night looks like it's been years since other people were here? better yet, how is it possible for other people to get here before you?

the sun had already risen by the time you made it back to the beach and despite the long walk with just your thoughts to yourself you still hadn't found any answers. your legs were aching and the throbbing in your arm hadn't stopped, not to mention you were tired and hungry after having not eaten since last night. but you were back, and the thought of finally being in a bed soon gave you enough energy to make it to the front entrance.

you walked through the same arches from when you had first arrived, about to go through the doors when you were stopped. 

"hey! where do you think you're going?" the voice yelled.

ah, right. you were so tired that you had forgotten all about the guards up front. you and chishiya were able to sneak past them before, but now you completely disregarded the entire thing, and considering the fact that you didn't have the car with you made you even more suspicious to these people.

you gave them a small wave and mustered up a smile, "im actually just returning from a game." 

they shared glances with each other before one of them looked back at you, "and the car? where are the other players who went with you?"

your stomach churned. the girl who was stabbed after being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the one who had been pushed down the stairs, and finally the one who had received a game over because she had trusted you. 

тнёу'яё dёДd.

"i'm the only one who survived. i have the keys right here." you held up said item, the small jingle of the charm and key itself bumping together filling your ears.

once more they shared glances with each other. you could tell they believed you when one of them gave the other a small nod, "wait here, i'm going to get one of the executives."

executives? so there was a rank of power here besides the man who had declared the night of games. you gave him a nod in understanding and after several minutes he came back with a woman dressed in a white button up shirt and shorts, hair falling just above her shoulders and sunglasses resting atop of her head.

her eyes glanced over your entire figure before resting on your injured arm for a second longer, "come with me." she spoke, turning around swiftly without another word and you had no choice but to follow after her. you both began walking through areas of the beach you hadn't even known existed and as you walked you could tell she was comfortable in where she was going. you figured she must have been in this world for a while then, and a member of the beach long enough as well.

"the keys, can i have them?" she asked, still walking and you gave her a nod before handing them over, "did the car not have gas?"

"nah, i just don't know how to drive." you gave her a smile and her mouth shifted to show a small one in return.

"i see. we'll send our mechanics out to get it then." your interest piqued at that. they had a strong enough system to have roles as well? you figured with the way most people seemed to party during the day and partake in death games at night this was all just a place for them to loosen up and such. it made you wonder, was that how they were able to get cars to work? and if so, what other materials did they have access to?

you guys continued walking until you found yourselves in front of a door. she turned the handle and you both walked inside, and it doesn't take a genius to realize that this was serving as an infirmary. With air mattresses littering the floor and blankets hung up as to provide privacy it was a nice makeshift set up. no one was here at the moment, staff nor patients, but she still led you to one of the mattresses, indicating you to sit. 

your muscles relaxed when you finally sat down. even though it was uncomfortable, to you you could've fallen asleep then and there if it weren't for the woman speaking to you.

"where's your bracelet?" she asked, eyes glancing at your empty wrist while sitting down next to you and setting down cotton balls, alcohol and bandages. 

bracelets? you remembered the girls you had played with were wearing ones, and your eyes drifted down to the one around her wrist as well.

you gave her a sheepish smile, "ah, i lost it during the game." you couldn't just tell her you had arrived at this place uninvited. 

she sighed like she had heard the phrase a million times before putting some alcohol onto the cotton ball and removing the fabric around your upper arm. you were lucky it didn't get infected nor did it start bleeding. she began properly cleaning the wound, you giving a small intake in breath at the contact. 

"i heard your game was apart of group 7. what game did you clear?" she asked, putting aside the cotton ball and wrapping the white bandage around your arm. 

"nine of hearts." you replied. you didn't miss the way she paused for a brief moment in her actions. 

she resumed wrapping until cutting the end and standing up to return the materials, "that's impressive."

is it though? despite the horrors of the game, it was quite simple. still, you gave her a smile, "thanks."

"i'll talk about increasing your rank with the other executives and i'll also get you a new key. do you remember which number you were before?" she asked.

so people could get higher up into this rank system through the games they cleared. you shook your head, "i'm still new so i can't really remember my number exactly." 

she nodded, "we'll keep that in mind. also," she went to a cabinet, rummaging through before giving you a bikini set, "change into these."

you grabbed the material from her hands, internally screaming at how revealing the swimsuit was. you gave her another smile, this one embarrassed, "i don't really plan on going swimming."

"these are required. if you don't wear them we'll have to...go to some drastic measures." she explained.

you sighed, eyes going back to the dark blue bikini top. although you didn't mind swimsuits, you did feel uncomfortable having to wear this 24/7. but you had a feeling these 'drastic measures' weren't anything good.

"can i wear shorts with this?" you ask, and she gives you a nod, going back to the cabinet and returning with a pair of denim shorts. they were still too short for your liking but it was better than nothing. 

"i'll come back with your key and room number. welcome to the beach," she gave you a small smile, one that you returned with a genuine one of your own. 

"thanks for having me." she turned to leave and you quickly stood up to gain her attention, "actually i wanted to ask, have you seen a blonde guy anywhere? he's kinda short, an asshole, probably avoiding everyone here."

"there's a lot of people here at the beach that fit that description. do you know what group he was in?" she asked. 

"group 5." you answered. 

she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she opened the door, "as far as i know you were the last group we were waiting on to hear from. all the others have already come back or have been deemed dead."

your heart dropped at her answer. so you had been the last one to come back? you began to think that even if chishiya was still alive you wondered what was going through his mind as he awaited your return. you gave her another smile, this one a little forced, "i see. thank you anyways."

she nodded in response, "is there anything else?"

you thought for a moment, "actually there is. do you guys have any books?"

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you walked down the hall in the upper floors of the beach, eyes staring at the wristband around your wrist. surprisingly enough you had gotten a rank in the late twenties, the woman saying they took into consideration the high difficulty of the game you had cleared. it made you wonder, what sort of special privileges did executive members get?

"i see you made it back alive." 

your head shot up at the sound of the voice. sure enough, in front of you just a few feet away stood chishiya, now dressed in a white hoodie and swim trunks. you heart started beating faster at the sight of him, and you almost cried out of relief of the fact that he had survived his game unscathed.

"of course i did." you gave him a big smile, but it faltered slightly when he didn't return it. your heart started beating a little quicker, a million ideas entering your mind to try and make sense of the strange lack of emotion from him. even though chishiya rarely showed emotion in public he at least would give you a small smile once seeing you, and after the night you both just had you thought he'd be more happy to see you alive and well. it was too strange, and already you could tell that something was wrong.

his eyes glanced at you before settling on the bandage around your arm. his face shifted for a second, concern flashing in his eyes before it disappeared just as quick as the emotion had appeared. 

he glanced around the hallway like he was taking in the interior for the first time, "this place is more interesting than i expected."

you nodded, taking a few steps to be closer to him. already you could smell his fresh scent, easing the nerves you've had since your game ended. you didn't hug him, afraid that he wouldn't like the display of affection in such a public place. instead, you brushed your fingers against the sleeve of his arm, eyebrows furrowing when he flinched at the light touch, almost like he didn't want you near him. but it wasn't like him. chishiya was all about the small touches, hell he was the one who usually initiated those. so why was he acting like you were a stranger trying to touch him?

you shot him a concerning look, "is something wrong?" you ask, your eyes shifting over his body for any indicator of his strange behavior.

his eyes still wouldn't look at you, and he let out a small puff of air, like whatever he was about to say he didn't like. or he knew you wouldn't like, "i'm going to be honest with you. in this place...our relationship-"

you're heart dropped to your stomach and you interrupted his sentence before he could continue, "stop." 

finally, his eyes looked at you, "so you know it too."

you gulped down whatever emotion was bubbling in your throat, "i know what you're thinking and i don't like it." you admitted. he couldn't possibly be considering it. you refused to believe chishiya would stoop that low after months of being by his side. in a place like this no less.

he leaned forward, his face inches from yours and the eyes that you used to love looking at were hard to gaze into, "tell me then. what am i thinking?"

it took everything in you for your voice not to waver, "if i say it, it's going to be too real." you whispered. you didn't want it to be real. for once, you didn't want to be right. you didn't want to know what the hell was going through chishiya shuntaro's mind right now.

he leaned back, and finally you felt like you could breathe, "you know i'm right."

you shook your head softly, "you're wrong." 

"i know you saw it last night. what are you going to do if i die in the next game? you just going to sit around and do nothing?" he asked. but you knew what his real question was. 

'what am i going to do with myself if you die?'.

"no." you managed to get out.

"no?" he asked, his tone mocking. it was really pissing you off.

"no! because you're not dying chishiya!" you yell, a tear escaping down your cheek as you looked at the blonde male. he didn't comment on the expression of emotion, and you quickly wiped it away with the back of your hand. 

his jaw tensed as he shifted his eyes away from your face, "you don't know that."

but you did. you knew what chishiya was capable of. you knew he'd be able to survive in a world like this. unlike you chishiya had no problem in letting others go so he could survive. you could say that he didn't care at all. you on the other hand, cared a little too much, and you knew that was a weakness in what has now become of the tokyo you once knew, "i'll be the one to die before you."

his face shifted ever so slightly, showing a mix of anger and hurt, "i don't want that for you."

"then stop acting like a jackass." you retorted.

chishiya's face remained blank from the insult. he shifted his attention to the wall, quiet for a moment before speaking, "you know my game only let one person win. four people i gladly let die." his eyes settled back to you, "what are you going to do if that's the case with me and you?"

you were quick to answer, "i'd die then." and you meant it. you'd gladly lay down your life if it meant he'd survive.

you could tell chishiya was getting irritated now, "wrong answer."

you could feel your own irritation grow, "you don't think i would? 12 people chishiya! 12 people dead because i was too afraid to die before seeing you again. if you think i wouldn't then you're the one who's wrong."

he didn't say anything, instead looking at you with those brown eyes of his. were they always this cold? you remember briefly that they looked like this back when you first met but you thought you had finally gotten past that. you thought you had finally gotten through to the mysterious man.

just what exactly happened to chishiya in his game?

finally he spoke, "you're only hurting yourself."

"and you're going to tell me it doesn't hurt you?" you ask, searching his eyes for any indication of sadness.

he once more settled his gaze away from your face, facing you but not quite looking at you, "i don't feel anything."

lїДя.

you laugh in disbelief, "you think i'm going to believe that? i know your hands are clenched in your pocket," you didn't miss the way there was a small shift from within, "your jaw is tensed, you eyes can't even look at me," tears were now falling down your cheeks, but you didn't care to wipe them away this time, "look at me and tell me you don't want this anymore."

his eyes settled on yours, but he didn't say anything. his face remained expressionless, and it hurt you, but you knew what he was doing. he was trying to push you away so he wouldn't get hurt. he thought that maybe if he got you to hate him it'd be easier for the both of you to move on and survive. but you didn't want that. you didn't want to let chishiya go. no matter how much he hurt you or how much he used you, your heart wanted to stay with him.

your hands tightened, and you clasped them together to stop them from shaking, "i don't care if we're gonna die at any moment. it was like that in the real world too wasn't if? so just, believe in me when i say i'm not gonna die on you chishiya. don't be scared i'm gonna leave you." he still wouldn't say anything, and you let out a small breath of air, "i'll be in my room when you're ready to talk." you stepped forward, debating on touching him one last time but you decided not to, instead brushing past him. 

during that brief moment you saw him hesitate. maybe internally he was rethinking his words, but he didn't make any move to stop you.

you cried when you got to your bed that night. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

when you woke up it was late afternoon. despite the sleep you still didn't want to get out of bed, and it wasn't just because of how sore your legs were. you didn't even realize you had fallen asleep crying until now, and you didn't need to look in the mirror to know that your eyes were probably rimmed red and you definitely didn't look your best. 

you understood chishiya's intentions, you really did. but it still didn't stop the hurt that had weaved its way into your heart, the feeling making it hard to breathe and leaving your stomach feeling sick. in reality you were scared too. the thought of chishiya not surviving his next game would always be in the back of your mind, and if that really did happen, you werent sure what'd you'd do with yourself. 

but on the other hand, knowing chishiya was there, it gave you the strength to continue on. if it weren't for him, you doubt you would've survived your recent game with the small casualties that you did. so why couldn't he view you as a reason to live?

you pulled the covers closer to your body, reveling in the warmth but resenting it because it wasn't his. you were debating on falling asleep once more so you could for a couple more hours forget about your sorrows when your stomach grumbled. that's right, you still hadn't eaten, and you were too busy crying to really have an appetite. should you try to look for some food? or was there a set time in order to eat? your stomach grumbled once more and you figured you'd take the risk and try anyways.

groggily you got up, legs still sore but still better than before. you put on your shoes and went to the door, trying hard not to look in the mirror. you really didn't want to see how you looked. 

it didn't take you long before you found what looked to be a cafeteria. there weren't a lot of people there to begin with, you figured it was because lunch had long ago ended and dinner wouldn't start until another couple of hours. you walked up to the long table showing off what had been that days lunch. no one was around, so you helped yourself before finding a spot at an empty table.

as you were eating you tried to focus on the food and not the empty chair beside you. you had always eaten alone, but when you had become friends with chishiya things like lunch was always shared. you heart began to hurt again, and suddenly you weren't hungry anymore. 

"hey, can i sit here?" 

you snapped out of your thoughts to see a girl around your age holding her own tray of food, chewing on a gum stick. you gave her a nod and she sat down next to you. you took notice of the way she fiddled with the stick and that's when you concluded that she had been a smoker. she seemed to be keeping it in her mouth often, so you figured she quit recently. 

"you looked lonely so i decided to sit next to you. oh, i'm kuina by the way." she turned her body towards you and extended out a hand, you shaking it and giving her a small smile as you repeated your own name. she returned her attention back to her food, "i haven't seen you around before, you new?"

you went back to your own food, "i just got here last night."

"how was your first game?" she asked, chewing softly as she rested her cheek in her palm whilst looking at you.

"it was something." you flashed her another smile in which she returned. you decided in that moment that you really liked kuina. there was something about her energy that made you forget about what had happened with chishiya, even if just for that moment.

you two talked amongst yourselves, and during that time you really realized how nice it was to have a friend here at the beach. before you always had trouble making friends with the right people, but with kuina it was easy to talk to her, and you could tell that she was a good person.

you both finished your lunches and began walking around the beach. kuina mentioned that she hadn't been around for long either, only having arrived the day before you, but she still showed you around nonetheless. she showed you the bar where even more citizens of the beach hung out and partied, drinking and even a couple doing things you'd rather not see in public. 

as you guys were walking in the empty hallways, much preferring the quietness of it over the club you decided to ask her a couple of questions.

"say, kuina, why is it that there are people with guns around here?" you ask. it didn't seem right since guns were most likely rendered useless during these games. with the exception of spades you were required to use your brain, and carrying it around during the days you didn't have to participate seemed pointless. 

"you noticed it too? i'm not too sure but i did hear someone mention that some of the higher ups get guns." she answered, the gum stick moving slightly as she talked. 

you thought back to the guy you had seen when you first arrived at the beach, piercings and all, "do you know a guy who had piercings on his face?"

you noticed kuina visibly shudder, "i don't know him either but i'd stay away. he looks like bad news."

you agreed with her. something about him didn't sit right with you, and you'd rather not find out the hard way. 

you both eventually made it to your room, kuina giving you a surprised look, "this is your room?"

you titled your head in confusion, "since this morning. why?"

"my room is a couple doors down, but when i left it to go eat there was this guy hanging around. he seemed sketchy so i'd be careful. law means nothing in this place." she warned, shifting her weight to one leg as she took out her gum stick. 

your confusion grew. someone had been hanging around your room? but, no one even knew you were here, you were new after all. you thoughts went to a certain blonde. had he been waiting for you while you were fast asleep?

you gave her a smile to show your gratitude, "thanks, i'll keep that in mind." kuina flashed you a smile of her own, "oh and thanks for sitting with me today. i really enjoyed your company."

she gave you a light pat on the shoulder, "anytime! i hope to see you around more."

you gave her a nod and waved as she began walking away. your mood was lighter now as you entered your room, laying down on the fluffy sheets and curling up into a small ball. being with kuina was a nice distraction from what had happened that morning, and internally you were grateful for her presence.

you slept a little better that night.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

it's been a couple days and still no sign of chishiya. although you checked he never seemed to be around during any of the eating times, and he was never out with the others partying or hanging out. you weren't really surprised at this since chishiya much perferred being alone. and although you were waiting for him to approach you, a small part of you wished to see him, hoping that he'd come to his senses soon.

you hadn't seen kuina around either, so you figured she was busy. with that, you continued on walking around the beach in hopes of running into her and also to gather as much information as you could. so far the only thing you were really able to learn was that the man in charge went by the name of hatter, and that the individuals with guns were apart of what they called the militants, under the command of a man named aguni. you yourself haven't encountered him, but you figured it was for the best when you noticed the uneasy expressions on the people who had told you about him.

you found yourself outside near the poolside, having found an empty chair somewhat away from everyone but still under an umbrella to provide you with shade. you watched as people danced to the music, hips swaying from side to side and the water fights in the pool itself. you envied these people and how carefree they could be in a situation like this, and internally you wished you could also let go and forget about the guilt.

"so you didn't die." 

your eyes shifted from the crowd of people to your right, eyes widening a fraction at seeing who it was. of course your luck he'd be here. just when you thought were doing a good job at avoiding him too.

he sat down beside you, a little too close for comfort, and propped his gun on the ground face up. 

you returned your attention away from his face, "games aren't going to kill me that easily."

"i didn't think so. you seemed pretty capable when we first met." he glanced around, almost like he was looking for someone, "say, where's your boyfriend? i haven't seen him around." 

your heart panged at the mention of chishiya's absence. still, you gave him a forced smile, "he's throwing a little tantrum right now so i'm leaving him alone."

he laughed, the sound so chilling and crooked that you wanted to disappear and erase it from your mind, "if you're lonely you could always knock on my door," he leaned in close, and your skin crawled when his hands ghosted over your bare thigh, "i'm busy being an executive and all but i'm more than willing to make time for a pretty thing like yourself."

you debated pushing him away or screaming when suddenly something hit him in the back of the head, causing him to yell in pain and look around at the other members of the beach.

"who the fuck did that?!" he screamed, people nearby backing away at the sound of his voice. 

you took the opportunity to shift away, "i'm good, but thanks for the offer."

his eye twitched slightly, and you feared you got him even more irritated. to avoid anything further you quickly stood up, "i just remembered i have a friend waiting for me. but i'll see you around."

you gave him another forced smile, waving as you walked towards the inside of the beach. the minute you were safely inside you let out a breath you'd been holding in since the beginning of the conversation. you really didn't like that man. the presence and the vulgar way he went about things made alarms ring in your head, every feeling in your gut telling you to stay away. you decided to listen, and that you'd refrain from going near the poolside from now on. you also reminded yourself to take a shower to get rid of the disgusting way his fingers had touched your bare skin.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you found yourself exploring every aspect of the beach over the next couple of days. it was a nice hotel, nicer than the one you had played your game at, with spas underground and rooms that must've been for children to do arts and crafts while their parents went about their own things. you weren't artistic yourself, but you did find yourself going there often since no one else was around. not to mention it was a good place to read, and the change of scenery from your room was also nice.

aside from the crafts room you also found other places that you'd visit frequently. one place in particular you stumbled upon in the early morning before breakfast. you had found yourself restless, waking up too early and not being able to fall back asleep. as a result you began walking the halls, empty for once since everyone was either sleeping or hiding away in the confines of their room.

you were at the other side of the building when you spotted an exit sign. curious you opened the door, finding steps that lead upwards despite being on the uppermost floor. you closed the door behind you and climbed the steps, shivering ever so slightly when the door opened to a gust of wind. you walked a few steps more before letting out a small gasp.

you seemed to have found the roof of the beach, and in the early morning the sun was rising, sunlight peeking through the city skyline of tokyo. it was breathtaking, and you wished you had found this spot sooner. it'd be a nice place to settle down and read the book you were currently invested in and it also provided a good view of the entire beach. a small smile graced your lips as you relished in the way the sunlight hit your skin, making it warm in the chilly morning air. 

another wind blew through, causing small strands of hair to blow into your face. you tucked the loose strands behind your ear, your eyes drifting over to scan the rest of the roof.

your smile faltered when you saw the silhouette of chishiya, sitting down near the edge with his eyes already on you. his face was obscured by the white hood resting atop his blonde hair, but even from here you could see his cold eyes and his expressionless face. you grew frustrated. he was too far away for you to get a good read on him, and you hated not knowing what he was thinking sometimes. did he feel bad? angry? was he happy, even for a split moment, to see you as you were with him? 

he didn't say anything and neither did you. you yourself didn't really know how to feel seeing the blonde after his absence the last couple of days. you knew that your heart hurt to see him, but despite that, despite the words he had uttered that day you were still happy, relieved even to see him here, in person, and not just a figment of your imagination. 

chishiya was real, and you held on to that thought as you turned away and headed back downstairs.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	6. ⌈ 5 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ! 

hatter was not at all what you had been expecting. sure you had seen the one in charge briefly during your first day at the beach, but you hadn't been paying much attention to him in the first place. instead you were more so focused on trying to figure out the reasoning behind the disappearances that had happened to all of japan, as well as trying to make sense of the whole concept of 'games' you'd been hearing so much about. but now that you were standing in front of him, dressed in a tacky robe and swim trunks with a goofy smile on his face, you were definitely more than surprised.

he didn't radiate authority at all. he seemed more like a person who belonged on the sidelines, helping out the one who was actually in charge. if you were being honest with yourself the man you deemed as aguni seemed like he'd be in charge of the beach with his stone cold expression and his buffed out physique. you figured out pretty quickly that he had to have been apart of some type of military before being here. 

but hatter? it didn't make any sense. still, he had sent a woman named ann to your room to get you and he did let you stay at the beach free of cost, so you decided that you'd might as well listen to what he had to say and give him some respect. 

you cleared your throat, announcing your presence and hatter looked up from his spot at the table where he had been playing cards with another executive member, "oh! glad you could make it!" he placed down his deck of cards and sat down at a nearby couch, gesturing for you to take a seat on the cushioned sofa across from him. 

"you called?" you asked, moving aside one of the throw pillows and taking a seat. 

you watched as hatter laid back on the couch, gesturing to someone across the room. you were confused at first until one of the other girls in the room plopped herself on his lap, throwing her arms around his neck and beginning to kiss down the skin. you internally cringed at the scene, "yes! how are you liking things at the beach? it's been a little over a week since you arrived am i correct?"

you gave him a nod, trying to focus on him instead of the uncomfortable scene in front of you. despite the things that had happened you were quite content with your life here. you got free food, free housing, even hot showers which you were sure was not a luxury you'd have if you had decided to go back to your dorm. 

hatter smiled at your answer, but your conversation grew short when you both looked over at the sound of the door opening once more. you felt your blood run cold at seeing who it was.

chishiya walked in with his hands stuffed in jacket and his hoodie placed atop his head, eyes glancing at you and you didn't miss the way his eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise at seeing you here.

"there's the other one!" hatter exclaimed, motioning him to sit right beside you on the couch. 

chishiya took a seat, and your eyes glanced at him before going back to hatter, "the beach is great but, what's this about?" more importantly, why was he here?

hatter leaned forward and began filling two glasses of alcohol, "ann was telling me about the games you both have recently cleared. i heard you've found a knack in heart games? you even completed one last night."

you body tensed ever so slightly, remembering what had gone down the night before when you visa was about to expire.

"player number 3's lie will now be revealed. number two was the lie."

you tried not to flinch at the loud sound of the remaining player across from you slamming her hands down on the table, "what?! but..but you...i was so sure!"

you gave her a closed eye smile and a small shrug, "guess i'm a better liar than i thought."

you gulped down the guilt, forcing a smile onto your face, "seems like it."

you could feel chishiya's eyes on you and you glanced over to look at him, heart skipping a beat at the flash of concern in his eyes. that confirmed your theories that chishiya knew about the other types of games, and was probably the first he was hearing of you participating in the hardest ones. 

"amazing! right now mira is our only decent hearts player, but with you clearing that four of hearts and that nine of hearts on your first night here is just, wow!" hatter exclaimed, his smile widening as he took a sip from his glass cup.

your hands tightened at his words, "ah well, it's not that great really.."

"nonsense! if you keep clearing these type of games you'd be in the executive board in no time!" hatter continued to praise. 

although the idea sounded nice, your stomach churned at the thought of continuing to go to venues and clearing games that brought unnecessary death. was this really what your life was now? killing other players just to survive in a cruel world? you wondered what chishiya thought about all this, but one look and he seemed to not care, which was probably likely. in the time that you've known him it seemed chishiya only cared about himself, and eventually you had been added to that mix. no other person he had no relation with mattered in his little world. 

hatter turned his attention towards chishiya, "and you've been clearing a lot of diamond games!"

chishiya gave him a smirk and a small shrug, leaning back against the couch like these games were a little too easy for him. not only that, but you weren't surprised to hear chishiya's specialty was diamonds. the game concept was all about intelligence after all, and the blonde was as smart as they could get. 

you cleared your throat to gain hatter's attention once more, "sorry but, is this the only reason you called us here? to praise us for clearing these games?"

hatter laughed, "you got somewhere important to be right now?" 

you waved him off, "nothing like that, i'm just curious is all." the reality was you just wanted to leave as soon as you could, but you didn't voice those thoughts aloud. instead you drifted your eyes to behind him, and you squinted slightly when seeing white and red peek out from behind a sliding door. what exactly was there? and what was so important that he felt it necessary to hide? 

hatter patted the girl currently in his lap as an indication to leave, and once she had he leaned forward, hands clasped together as he rested his elbows on his knees, "it's basic knowledge here at the beach that your ranks are increased with each game you cleared. only two games in and you both have done exceptionally well. i just thought i'd personally let you know how good you are doing." 

you gave him a small nod, but something told you that wasn't the only reason he had called you here. before you could try and figure it out though hatter got up and went to his desk, taking out a basket filled to the brim with different locker key numbers and bracelets. when he found what he was looking for he returned to the table, setting them down beside your drinks.

he addressed your name, "you'll now be 21, and you," his eyes flickered towards the bracelet sitting besides chishiya's drink, "will be 25. does that work for you both?"

you saw chishiya remove a hand from his pocket and lean forward, grabbing the locker key and putting it around his wrist. you reached forward yourself and stuffed it into your pocket, "that's fine with me." it was silent for a second and you felt the unease in your stomach grow, "if that's all i'll be leaving now. thank you." 

"why in such a hurry? you didn't even touch your drink either," the older man took another sip.

"i don't really drink. thanks for the offer though." you gave him a small smile before settling your eyes on chishiya, his attention already on you. you heart hurt once more at seeing him. ever since you accidentally stumbled upon him on the rooftop it was like he had disappeared once more, and you only saw him briefly when you had gone out last night for another game. 

your eyes returned to hatter's, "actually before i go, what's behind there?" you asked, gesturing towards the sliding doors. 

you watched carefully as hatter turned his head and tensed ever so slightly, but he quickly masked it with another charming smile, "that? it's nothing important, i wouldn't worry about it too much."

well, it was worth a try. but something in your gut was telling you it wasn't just 'nothing'. you decided that you'd try to investigate later once you had better privileges. you didn't say anything more before turning around and getting up, giving one final wave before opening the door to head back to your room. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

sometimes it was hard to sleep. it was like every time you closed your eyes all you could see were flashes of images you'd rather forget, and you were afraid that sleeping it off would make the memories worse. reading to calm yourself hadn't worked, so now you were forced to stay awake and just hope for a distraction.

why had hatter really called you to his room? there was no way it was just to chat about your so called achievements, the timing was too weird. and what was he hiding behind there? he had brushed it off when you asked but he still looked nervous, like whatever it was was not something to be revealed. 

you startled when you heard the room to your door open, and with the pitch black of your room you couldn't see who it was. you remembered kuina's words from before that had warned you about someone creeping around your room, and hurriedly you grabbed the lamp by your bedside table incase the person who had entered had ill intentions. 

instead you were met with those all too familiar brown eyes, eyes widened at the sight of you next to your bed with the lamp beside your head. questions arose in your head. why was he here? in the middle of the night no less? sure you had told him to meet you here when he was ready, but you had been referring to a time earlier in the day, when you weren't supposed to be fast asleep. there was also the fact that you forgot to tell him what room you were in. so how did he know? 

"i didn't think you were still awake." chishiya said, taking a seat at the edge of your bed. your hands tightened even more at those words. he really had the audacity to talk to you so casually? after everything he had said that day?

you rolled your eyes in annoyance, "are you here to talk or criticize my sleeping schedule?"

his eyes glanced at the lamp you still held up, "can you put that down first?"

you let out a small puff of air before placing it back down on the bedside table, going back under the covers of your bed. for a moment it was quiet, with chishiya glancing around your room at the books laid out in awkward places and the window left open to let cool air in. you sat against the headboard watching him, trying to figure out his intentions. was he really here to talk? and if so, would this be the end of your relationship with chishiya? 

finally he looked back at you, and you felt your breath catch in your throat. even though you had gazed into his eyes on so many occasions it never failed to make you appreciate how pretty they were, how loving they could be, and how cold they were now. 

he reached into his pocket and you almost cried at the sight of the familiar stuffed cat now on your bed. had he kept it all this time? even though he had tried so hard to push you away? tentatively you reached forward and brought it to your chest. it was just as soft as you remembered, and the stuffed toy even smelled like chishiya, like he had kept it with him at all times during your time apart. 

already you could feel the emotion bubbling in your throat and you cursed yourself when you felt your voice waver, "why.."

"it's yours. i won it for you." chishiya answered.

"i meant..why are you here?" you looked back up to look at his face. even though your eyes had adjusted to the dark it was still hard to make out what exactly he was feeling. it was one of those times that you wished you could read him.

chishiya kept your gaze before letting out a small sigh, "i meant what i said before."

you hands tightened around the stuffed toy. already you weren't liking where this conversation was going, "is this you trying to break up with me?"

you saw chishiya's mouth quirk down into a small frown, and you could practically feel the annoyance rubbing off of him, "i didn't say that."

"then what are you trying to say chishiya?!" you ask, not caring that your voice had risen in volume. you didn't care if people could hear how hurt you were right now, and how scared you were of what he was going to say.

"i'm giving you options." he answered, like with each word he wasn't breaking your heart.

"i don't want options! i just..i just want you by my side." you whispered, feeling the tears build up in your eyes.

chishiya just watched as you cried, and for a second you saw his hands shift towards you, like he wanted to reach out and wipe the tears away. instead he stuffed them in his pocket. "i can't do that."

"you can. you're just choosing not to." you pressed on. why was he being like this? was he really that afraid of you dying on him? you continued to cry, hating every second of it. you've always tried your best not to cry in front of other people, you didn't want to burden them with your sorrows and crying just made you embarrassed. but with chishiya, it was like that all went out of question, and it was like you could lay your feelings bare and let him see a part of you no one else did. 

"you hate me don't you." you heard chishiya say, a hint of sadness laced in his otherwise monotone voice.

you looked at him in surprise. was that really what he thought right now? hurriedly you wipe the tears away. you looked backed down at the stuffed cat, hands softly caressing the soft fabric. you remembered how happy you had been at seeing chishiya win a game that was rigged, and the proud little smile quirking his lips once he had received his prize. you let a small smile grace your lips, "far from it."

"you should. it'd be easier for the both of us." he replied, also looking down at the cat held in your grasp. you missed the way his mouth quirked up in a small smile, like he was also remembering that night.

"do you want me to hate you?" you asked. chishiya didn't answer, but you knew in your heart that he didn't want that. and even if you wanted to you'd never be able to hate the blonde male across from you. you scooted closer ever so slighty. "i think..you should do what you want chishiya. what is it that you want right now?" 

he was quick to reply, "to go home. have things back to normal. isn't that obvious?" 

you let out a soft sigh. it wasn't the answer you were quite looking for, "i guess what i really wanted to ask was..do you want me?" 

chishiya was quiet, like he was thinking over what he'd say next. more tears fell down your cheeks as the silence stretched on, but you were surprised when you felt chishiya shift and suddenly his fingers were against the skin of your cheek, softly wiping away your tears, "i want you to survive." and for the first time since this conversation started you saw chishiya's mask falter. you felt the way his hands trembled against your skin, and you saw the way his eyes looked at you like at any moment you were going to disappear. 

"i'm not going to die chishiya." you whispered, leaning against the soft touch. you had missed him touching you, the feeling of his warmth engulfing you in a big hug. 

"you will if you stay with me." he said, hands staying for a second longer before retracting from your face. without thinking you reach forward and clasped your hands around his, stopping him from returning to his side.

he didn't pull away, so you took that as a good sign. you brought his hands forward and placed them in your lap, looking down at your joined fingers as you softly traced the skin, thinking over your next sentence, "back during the first night here...i was put into a hearts game. nine of hearts at that."

for a split moment you felt chishiya's hands tighten around your own, the movement so fleeting that you would've missed it if you weren't so focused on the sensation of him.

you let out a shaky breath before continuing, "i killed...so many people. and even now it still haunts me. the things that i've done..just to survive. but i did it because..." you looked back up, eyes staring right at chishiya to let him know that you meant every single word that was about to leave your mouth, "you are my reason to live. i thought about it but i just couldn't imagine a world without you in it. so i decided in that moment that i'd survive until the very end. and that i'd return to the real world with you." your eyes glistened with more tears, "so please...don't think of me as a weakness. think of me as a reason to survive."

for a while chishiya didn't say anything, and you were scared that this really was the end. that despite you pouring your heart out it wasn't enough to get him to stay. you were about to tell him to leave when you heard him scoot closer to you on the bed, arms wrapping around your head and pulling you close so you were laying on his chest. you were shocked, not expecting him to do the action so suddenly.

"go to sleep. you look horrible." he muttered, and even though he was making fun of your sleep deprived appearance with prominent eye bags you still felt your heart warm. you thought that maybe, things would be okay. maybe it wasn't the end, and that'd you'd get to hold on just a little while longer. gingerly you wrapped your arms around his torso, taking in his fresh scent and how warm he was compared to your blanket. 

it was nice to feel chishiya once more.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you forgot the last time you had fallen asleep so quickly and so good. by the time you woke up in the morning you felt refreshed, excited for once to actually go do something worthwhile. you were even thinking of finishing that book you had started and was about to get up when you realized you couldn't move your hands, or your body for that matter. 

you eyes widened in shock when you realized chishiya was still here, laying on his back with you still on his chest. his arms were still wrapped around you and yours were gripping the front of his white hoodie. had he really stayed when you had fallen asleep? you looked more closely at his face and you felt your heartbeat quicken at the sight of him. it was the first time you had seen him look so at ease, soft snores and his lips slightly parted. on instinct you reached up and brushed the blonde strands resting on his cheek. you were surprised when you felt him lean into the touch until fluttering his eyes open. you paused at seeing him look directly at you, eyes widened in shock at seeing you right in front of him. 

you felt your cheeks warm at the eye contact. so chishiya was actually a light sleeper. it must've been a miracle that he had stayed asleep for so long then. he didn't move, instead continuing to stare at you in shock. you watched as his eyes shifted to the hand that was brushing against the skin of his cheek, asking silently what you had been doing. you cleared your throat before retracting you hand, cheeks flaring up in embarrassment. not only at being caught, but also at the predicament. even though you and chishiya had been together for a while it was your first time sleeping in the same bed as him. it felt so intimate being this close to him, and it was weird waking up to see him by your side as the first thing you see. 

"were you watching me sleep?" he asked, a teasing tone in his voice. he seemed to get over the initial shock and your cheeks warmed even more at hearing him, his voice scratchy from the lack of use during his slumber. 

"as if." you muttered, sticking your tongue out at him. still, it was nice to wake up with him right beside you, and for a moment you forgot all about everything what had happened since arriving at the borderlands. but as the silence stretched on you thought back to the conversation from last night, and you needed to know for certain if moments like these would be permanent or temporary. "chishiya.." your hands tightened around the white fabric, trying your best to force out the words, "are we okay now?"

you felt his arm shift around you until his fingers began petting your hair, something he always did to calm you down, "we both could die at any moment. any day."

you bit your lip to keep your voice from wavering, "i know."

"i still think it'd be best for us to part ways." you felt your heart sink at his answer. so did him staying mean nothing to him? did you read into his intentions wrong? "but," his fingers drifted from the top of your head to your face, lifting your chin up so you were looking straight at him, "i'm worried you might be stupid enough to die if i'm not with you."

your heart felt lighter at his words, and you let a big smile make its way to your face. you weren't wrong. chishiya really did stay because he wanted to, and he was going to stick by your side until the end. "just admit you want to stay with me too."

he rolled his eyes in annoyance, "think what you want."

your smile grew at that. you both stayed like that for a while longer until you felt your arms start to numb. you shifted so you could get up but paused when you felt chishiya's grip on you tighten, like for a split second he didn't want you to leave. like he wanted to revel in the warmth of the morning and you with it. but when you had noticed the change he was already letting go, and even though you now regretted moving you still got up.

"i'm going to go shower." you announced, and chishiya gave you a small nod, watching you silently as you grabbed a towel and made your way to the bathroom.

your body was still on fire even with the cold water cascading down your body. was this real? chishiya had really agreed to stick with you until you both managed to return to the real tokyo? it seemed so surreal, like a dream that you didn't want to wake up from. 

you shut off the water and stood there for a moment before stepping out, drying yourself quickly and wrapping the soft towel around your body. you peeked out of the bathroom to see if chishiya was looking but it seemed he was no where in sight. 

cautiously you walked towards the bed where he had sat just minutes before, but the spot was empty, and in its place was a little note. 

'i have some things to take care of. make sure you eat breakfast.' 

ah, so he had left while you were showering. although a little disappointed you had to remember chishiya liked to do his own things, and he would go about it in his own way. you put the note back down and quickly got changed, praying that things would be better here at the beach.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

after you had fully dressed you found yourself back on the rooftop. chishiya wasn't here this time but you still came up and sat down near the edge like he had before, eating the breakfast you had grabbed to go while watching the poolside from below. it was a good spot, perfect for observing, and you wondered if the blonde had been watching from up here since the beginning. it was likely since chishiya liked observing people, it was one of the things you and him had in common after all. for you it made you feel better so you knew what to expect from someone, and that there'd be no surprises when it came to certain situations. for chishiya, you weren't quite sure why he did it, but you knew he had his reasons.

you found yourself smiling softly. it was because you both were so good at reading people that you knew each other so well. it was also why you were able to know chishiya's real intentions for trying to push you away and maybe him being able to tell how devastated you were was one of the reasons he decided to stay. 

you sat there for a while longer watching the rest of the occupants of the beach dance. the music playing wasn't that bad, but since that day where you had encountered the male with a gun always slung across his shoulder you refrained from going anywhere near that place, afraid he would be there and no one would be willing to help out. 

you blinked in surprise when you felt small droplets fall onto your face, and it took you a moment to realize that it was raining. by now the music had stopped and the citizens of the beach were already rushing inside, some laughing while others were screaming at the unexpected weather. you even saw a couple of them coming out of the building to enjoy the rain. 

you stayed out for a bit longer, enjoying the droplets splashing onto your face and hair like soft kisses from the sky. when the rain came down harsher you got up and went towards the door, sitting down in the entryway as you watched the droplets fall down in a rush. it was strange that it was raining during the summer but you brushed it off and just leaned back to enjoy the view, as well as the fresh scent of rainwater.

by the time the rain finally stopped you headed back down to your room, brushing the wet strands of hair out of your eyes as you opened the door. you brought out a towel from the closet and began drying the damp hair, finally entering the bedroom itself. 

you stared in confusion at the trinkets sitting on the little table where your books had been, like someone had been in here and began building with things laying around the beach. there was no one here though, so who had? and how did they get in?

you jumped in surprise when the door to the bathroom opened, revealing chishiya with wet hair and dressed in his white hoodie and swim trunks. he didn't seem surprised to see you here, instead giving you a small pat on the head and walking past you to the table.

realization hit you at that moment. all these little trinkets where chishiya's, meaning he had been in your room while you were up on the rooftop. but why? he had his own room, and he seemed to have spent a majority of his time in there before. so what changed?

"your room is on a whole different floor." you said, stepping into the bedroom area and sitting down on the bed.

chishiya didn't look up from where he had busied himself with what looked like a homemade taser, "i'm aware."

you let out a small breath of air in frustration at his answer and deciding not to ask further questions you layed down so your body was facing him, head near the edge of the bed as you watched him work. 

it was relaxing actually, the comfortable silence as chishiya used all these tools that you wondered where he had gotten. was this what he meant by taking care of some things? creating weapons that could help during the games? or even just in everyday life. with the borderlands, you could never be sure what people were capable of in and outside of the game venues. 

you felt yourself dozing off but you didn't want to sleep quite yet. it was still too early and you didn't want to wake up too early in the morning. chishiya was still working on the taser and hadn't said a word. 

"it was raining today." you finally filled the silence. 

you saw chishiya pause for a second, eyes quickly glancing at the window before continuing, "it appears so."

you rolled over so you were now on your back, staring up at the ceiling, "it was really pretty. it hasn't rained in a while."

you heard chishiya hum in response, agreeing with your statement. it was quiet once more and with the comfortable position you really felt like you were falling asleep.

"are you going to ask or are we just going to pretend?" this time it was chishiya who broke the silence, and you rolled over once more to see his eyes on you.

it still amazed you how well chishiya could read you, so you asked the question that had been weighing your mind the last 45 minutes, "are you going to stay here?"

"what do you think?" he asked, and you gave him a small pout. 

"you could've just made my room your workspace." you retorted.

you heard chishiya sigh softly, "it'd be a pain to go back and forward."

"the exercise is good though." you smiled when chishiya gave you a look. he hated physical activity just as much as you did.

"i'm here to keep an eye on you." he finally answered your question.

you titled your head in confusion, half offended and half wondering what he meant, "I don't need you to though."

chishiya was quiet, like he was taking in everything you had said and your conversation from last night. finally he answered, "I want to. If i'm going to stay I might as well do it right." 

you felt your heart warm at his words. knowing that he was doing this out of his own free will and because he wanted to do everything in his power to keep you safe made your feelings for him grow. it also almost made you cry with how sweet his thoughtfulness was, even if he wouldn't admit to it. 

you smiled warmly at him, chishiya giving a small one back before busying himself once more. it was enough to put your heart at ease, and fall asleep knowing chishiya was beside you once more.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	7. ⌈ 6 ⌋

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ᎢᏔ; ᎪᎢᎢᎬᎷᏢᎢᎬᎠ ᏚᎬXᏌᎪᏞ ᎪᏚᏚᎪᏌᏞᎢ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏢᎡᎾᏟᎬᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᏟᎪᏌᎢᏆᎾN.

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . . 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ! 

going to game venues never got easier. you would think that by your third game you'd be a little bit more confident in yourself, but that wasn't the case at all. despite knowing more than before you still got so scared it was hard to move, and your hands wouldn't stop shaking no matter how much you tried to focus on them stopping. maybe that was it. maybe knowing what could happen made it harder to go each night. it was almost enough to make you cry out in frustration. you hated the way you were reacting to having to participate once more. why couldn't you be more like chishiya? he was calm and unbothered by the fact, and here you are almost having a breakdown. 

щнДт щД₴ щяоиG щїтн уоц¿

you walked by the said male, on your way to the main room to receive the venue you were assigned to after hearing the sirens blare. no words were exchanged, and you preferred it this way otherwise you were sure you'd break down right in front of him. instead you focused on what you could do in the moment, and that was thinking about what'd you do once you got the game you were assigned. you just hoped it wasn't another hearts game. although you've been getting by in clearing them and even finding them easy, the psychological impact was slowly building up, and you hated every minute of it. on the other hand you didn't know what to expect if put into the other games and you hated not knowing things. 

you snapped out of your thoughts however when chishiya stopped walking, and you looked at him curiously. you glanced around the hallway to see if anything caught his attention but there wasn't anyone around, so why stop so suddenly?

"why are you acting like that?" chishiya asked, and that's when you noticed how irritated he was, eyebrows furrowed and his mouth quirked down in a small frown. it was a face he made often opposed to his blank expression. but what had you done that pissed him off?

you gave him a confused look, "like what? i'm just walking."

you saw his eyes glance down at your fingers before letting out another soft sigh of frustration. you mirrored the glance, your confusion growing from the look. did he want to hold your hand? 

when he didn't answer your question you let out a soft sigh of your own. it seemed like he wasn't going to say anything, and you weren't about to pressure him into doing so. there was also the fact that if you didn't go down soon there wouldn't be any assignments left, and you'd rather not try to figure out game venues on your own. 

you gave him a soft smile, "come on, let's get going before all the cars leave." you took a step forward but was stopped when chishiya grabbed a hold of the back of your shirt. you stumbled back, shooting him a glare but chishiya remained unfazed. You were about to tell him off but the words died in your throat when you felt him bump his fingers against yours, hesitating for a second before lacing his pinkie with yours. 

you were so stunned that you didn't even realize you were now walking again, chishiya tugging your along. you also didn't even realize that your hands had stopped shaking, like the small touch from the blonde helped calm all the nerves you had before. it suddenly dawned on you that you had been somewhat right, and you smiled at the fact that it was such a chishiya thing to do to not voice his want out loud. you started laughing, chishiya giving you a curious glance at your small outburst. 

"if you wanted to touch me just say so chishiya." you teased, watching in amusement as the blonde grew irritated once more. 

"i'll leave you here alone if you keep it up." he responded, giving you a look that was telling you to drop it. 

you couldn't help it though, and your smile widened, "are you sure you really want that though? so if i let go right now-" you stopped when you felt chishiya's pinkie tighten around your own, like he was afraid you really were going be true to your words.

you looked back up at his face, even more surprised to see his ears tinted to a soft pink. it was one of those rare moments that chishiya ever got embarrassed, and strangely enough it was really adorable, a word you never thought you'd associate with him. 

"let's just hurry and go down." he said, tugging you along with him. you decided to stop teasing him about it for now and followed after him. 

before you entered the main room the same paper slips were being handed out to each passing individual. you reached out and grabbed one, quickly reading the writing that had scribbled the group number you were in this time. you and chishiya once again went towards the back of the main room, the blonde leaning against the wall as he read his own number. luckily for the both of you you weren't in the same group, so you didn't have to worry about being put into a game where only one could live.

everything else went by in a blur. hatter gave his same little speech he does every night before the games, and you watched as everyone scrambled to group together and get to their cars. you turned to chishiya, ready to say goodbye when you overheard a passing conversation.

"group 10 huh? i wonder how many people are going to die this time." 

your eyes widened when you realized who it was. the same man with all those piercings and the gun slung across his shoulder. not only that, but it seemed like his group consisted of mostly militants, meaning you would also have to associate yourself with them during tonight's game.

chishiya noticed your frozen state and one glance at the number on your paper slip and realizing the words of that conversation told him all he needed to know, "switch groups with me."

your directed your attention back to the blonde, finally snapping out of your dazed state of realizing you were paired with the most dangerous people at the beach. but although chishiya was smart, they had guns, and you weren't sure either of you would be able to go against that so easily. if anything, you'd rather it be you than him. 

you pocketed your slip of paper and mustered up a smile, "i'll be fine." you tried to reassure, but it seemed as if your words fell on deaf ears. 

your smile faltered when chishiya grabbed your wrist, dragging you away from the main room, "you're not going then." 

"chishiya-hey! cut it out!" but no matter how much you tugged back he wouldn't let go, "my visa expires tonight. if i don't go then.." you trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence of people's fates when they didn't go to their game venues in time. 

chishiya stopped, his hand tightening around your wrist and you felt the small tremble of his fingers against your skin, "then pick another game." 

you stopped struggling at his words. it seemed like the male knew just as well as you did the dangers of being paired with the militants. most players not apart of their group rarely came out alive and even though chishiya knew you were more than capable, even though he knew you'd get through the situation, it was still hard to let you go. 

"you know it doesn't work like that." you say, and you know chishiya knows that as well. he stays silent before letting go of your wrist, stuffing his hands back into his hoodie pocket. 

it was silent for a moment until you heard another shout from the other players that cars would be leaving soon. you moved to reach over and say goodbye but stopped, not expecting the words to catch in your throat or for it to be this hard. 

chishiya noticed the action, "what is it?"

you put your hand back down. they were shaking again, and your voice wobbled as you told him the reason, "last time it was easier to say goodbye, because we didn't know anything about these games." you managed to get out. but now, now that you knew what to expect, and what exactly was going to happen, saying goodbye to chishiya right now was like saying goodbye to someone you may never see again.

chishiya remained silent, fully taking in your words. finally you heard him step closer, removing one hand from his pocket and wrapping his free arm around your head, bringing you closer and you sighed in content at the gentle touch. you liked how warm he was, and you wished you could stay like this forever instead of going out to a death game.

he pet your hair softly before leaning down and brushing his lips against your cheek, moving away just as quick as he had been there and your skin warmed at the touch. he didn't say anything more before giving one final pat on your head, reassuring you one final time in his own way that everything would be okay. and even though he didn't say it aloud, you were grateful for the words that he meant through the gestures. if anything it made you feel better and you gave him a small smile to let him know you understood. with that he walked past you, no doubt heading to his own game.

you watched as he left, trying your best not to cry and instead focus on the warmth he had left behind. you'd be okay, and so would he. 

he wasn't even out of sight yet and you already missed him. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

somehow you managed to make it to the car going to your venue before it left. it took a lot of running and asking around to get directed to the right vehicle, but you had made it. you opened the door and got into the back seat, slumping against it without really fully realizing who was in the car with you. 

"look what we got here." his mouth quirked up into a smirk, and if the car wasn't already moving you would've gotten out then and there. 

you gave him a forced smile and a small nod in acknowledgment before scooting as close to the door as possible, praying that the venue wasn't far and that this car ride would be over soon. 

"i haven't seen you since the pool." he spoke again, and you didn't miss the way he seemed closer than before. 

you gave him another forced smile, shifting away once more, "ah well i've been busy so."

"too busy to drop by?" he asked, referring to your previous conversation where he had invited you to his room.

"precisely." you answered, returning your attention back to the window.

you could tell you had angered him with his furrowed brows and his mouth now in a snarl. he scooted closer once more, fingers gripping the skin of your arm.

"come on, don't be like that. i'm just trying to talk." he pressed on, eyes glancing down to your bikini top and suddenly you wished you had brought a jacket with you, "i think we got off on the wrong foot. i'm niragi, and what might your name be?"

you felt your hands tighten, "i'd appreciate the silence thank you."

his grip tightened, but luckily for you the car came to a stop and you quickly opened the door. you were internally grateful that it hadn't been far from the beach and that nothing had gone further than him touching your arm. 

the venue this time looked like an indoor theme park, and you gazed at the large glass building curiously. was one of the rides the game? and if so, what type of game would be good for rollercoasters and such? 

being careful to stay as far away from niragi as possible, you and the rest of the players in your group walked through the building, glancing at each of the rides but none seemed to indicate where the game was being held. you found yourself near the concession stand, but it appeared as if all the food and snacks held there had been taken. at least that meant the game wouldn't go on for as long as your first one had. maybe the game this time would even be easier. or maybe it was hard enough that it could wipe out the entirety of the participants in just a couple minutes. 

"guys! i found it!" you heard someone yell nearby, and you walked to the source of the voice before finding yourself with the rest of the players, 10 in total. they were all waiting in front of a door with a sign right next to it. 

ᎬNᎢᎡY ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ, NᎾNᎬ.

once again there were phones laid out on a table, and you grabbed one for yourself and watched as the familiar screen lit up. 

ᎡᎬᏟᎾᏩNᏆᎢᏆᎾN ᏆN ᏢᎡᎾᏟᎬᏚᏚ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏔᎪᏆᎢ Ꭺ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ. 

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏔᎪᏆᎢ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬNᎢᏞY ᎾNᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎢᎾ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬNᎢᏞY 10 ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪNᎢᏚ. 

at least you wouldn't have to wait long before playing. you decided in this time to really take in the other players here. besides the five of you from the beach the rest of the participants looked like ordinary people, at least two of them new and the other three bunched together in a group. you figured it wasn't their first game either by the injuries littered over their bodies. you returned your attention back to your phone when the familiar ding sounded from it. 

ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏞᎪᏚᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏩ. ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, 8 ᎾF ᏟᏞᏌᏴᏚ. 

sighs of relief passed through the room, and you were relieved yourself. you felt better knowing that despite being in the same venue as the militants, it wasn't a spades game, so you didn't have to worry to much about the physical disadvantage if it came to going against them. on the other hand, it was your first game that wasn't hearts, and if you remembered correctly clubs were all about team effort leading to victory, meaning you had to work together with the other players in the room. the only thing that worried you though was the difficulty level. anything that high couldn't be good.

the militants had different reactions though, especially niragi, "seriously? laser tag?" he laughed, the others going along with him. you figured out pretty quickly that they all were thinking of the game to be childish, death or not, but no doubt niragi was also disappointed in not being able to use his actual gun that he had brought with him from the car.

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ, ᏚᎻᎾᎾᎢ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ FᎡᎾᎷ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎾᏢᏢᎾᏚᏆNᏩ ᎢᎬᎪᎷ ᎢᎾ ᏩᎪᏆN ᏢᎾᏆNᎢᏚ. ᏩᎬᎢᎢᏆNᏩ ᏚᎻᎾᎢ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ 1 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᎾᏌᎢ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ. ᏩᎬᎢᎢᏆNᏩ ᏚᎻᎾᎢ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ.   
YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ 20 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ. 

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN, ᎡᎬᏟᎬᏆᏙᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎻᏆᏩᎻᎬᏚᎢ ᏚᏟᎾᎡᎬ. 

suddenly the doors opened, revealing a room with a tv and another door that remained closed. the two new players glanced at each other confused while the others walked in after dropping off their guns onto a nearby bench. 

you walked up to the newbies, giving them a small smile, "it's best if you just follow along." 

one of them spoke up, "uhm, what is this exactly?"

your eyes settled back to the room. it was all too familiar to the childhood birthday parties and dates to the amusement park. only this time, it was under different circumstances, "looks like a game of laser tag." you put it simply. 

you walked into the room and eventually they followed you in, the doors closing right behind them. the tv screen lit up, showing a layout of the arena. your eyes quickly scanned over the screen. it was like any other laser tag arena, and the video now playing showed the rules of the game and how to properly put on the vests. 

the video ended with the screen going black and the other door opening. cautiously you all entered, vests with the laser gun clipped to it on racks. everything really was the same, even the silly code names printed onto the back of the vest. you took one off the rack and put it over your head, having to adjust the straps since it didn't fit perfectly. once that was finished you unclipped your gun, weighing it in your hand. it was light, and when you clicked on the trigger a little red dot appeared. 

when you noticed everyone else had put on their vests as well it only took a few seconds for the lights on them to flash, changing colors. yours turned to a bright red while others in the room had turned to the same shade and a bright neon blue. you realized these colors were the teams you were being put in, and that somehow luck had remained on your side and you were paired with the other militants. still, you felt bad for the other players since you doubted they'd be able to go against trigger happy individuals that were experienced with actual guns and no doubt had great aim. another ding went through the room. 

ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ Ꭺ ᎾNᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ ᏆNᎢᎬᎡᎷᏆᏚᏚᏆᎾN ᏴᎬFᎾᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢᏚ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏩᎬᎢ ᏆNᎢᎾ ᏢᎾᏚᏆᎢᏆᎾNᏚ.

with that the final door opened, showing the dark room with the soft glow of the UV lights. the players on the blue team rushed out to find a good spot, and you were about to do the same when niragi blocked your path.

"looks like we're on the same team." he said, giving you a smirk. 

you flashed him an uncomfortable smile, looking behind him to watch where the other players had run off to, "seems like it."

he let out a dramatic sigh, "too bad we couldn't use our real guns, it would've been much more fun like that." 

your stomach began to feel sick. you seriously got lucky that real guns didn't count in this game, "we have only 30 seconds left before the game starts." you remind him. 

his smirk widened, "let's stick together then."

"staying in such a big group is dangerous. it's best if they struggle to figure out where each member is." you were quick to answer. 

he seemed surprised but amused at your statement, "not bad. you played a lot as a kid or something?"

"no, it's just called being strategic and having a brain." you flashed him another smile, this one actually real because of the look on his face. he was surprised at what your words actually meant, and before he could get angry you were finally able to brush past him. 

with only around 20 seconds left you rush through the dark space. if you remembered correctly and if the layout showed on the screen earlier was true there should be at least three levels. you were able to spot the floors incline going up and you took that route to the highest platform you could find with the little time left. it was best if you were higher up so you could see the entirety of the arena and it'd also make it easier to pinpoint other possible hiding positions as well. you managed to find a spot with a little window space to look through and a dead end. since it was only you it was perfect so no one could ambush you from the other side. 

you crouch down under the window space when you feel a small buzz from your gun and that's when you know the game has started. you wait in anticipation in your little spot, every once in a while peeking through the small space to check if anyone was passing by.

you jumped when you heard shouts from below and curses strung throughout. it made you even more anxious at hearing noises you weren't completely sure where they were coming from. how long would you have to wait here? should you find a different spot where more people would be?

another minute passed by until you heard footsteps closer than before. you peeked over to see the blue glow of their vest, and hurriedly you aimed your gun so that the red dot was on the blue light until clicking the trigger. 

their lights flashed before going gray, and you quickly hid yourself as they cursed loudly. you waited in anticipation until you heard them run off to find a better spot during their time out. you breathed out a relieved sigh at their departing footsteps, looking down at your gun and surprised to see you had gained 100 points. 

so each player shot once equaled 100 points gained, meaning the highest possible number of points you could get was 1,500 for your team. and as long as your other teammates survived, you'd be able to clear this game easily. the only thing you wondered though was, do dead player's points count during the final count? 

you peeked over once more and when you were sure that the player was gone you got up and went down a level. it wasn't safe to stick to just one spot, they would eventually be able to pinpoint it and worse case scenario ambush you, so switching after each player shot would be the best strategy to win. you ran as swiftly and as quietly as you could, almost to the spot that you were going to stay next when your gun began to vibrate, startling you as the lights went out. 

your eyes widened as you reached your spot that had been only a few feet away, swiftly turning around and peeking around the wall that was providing you cover and trying to find the player that had managed to shoot you. you caught a glimpse of blue just a couple feet away and you quickly hid back behind the wall until your time out was over.

you tried to reassure yourself that it was fine. you still had two chances left, so as long as you were careful you could avoid getting caught by the other team. still, it was hard navigating through the dark. even though you had memorized the layout you could never be sure who exactly was hidden where, and if they were smart they would also constantly be moving positions. not to mention the running you'd have to do would be hard, and even now your breaths were coming in short and as you rested your legs were starting to feel the small burn. 

finally your lights flashed and went back to their glowing red. now that you were officially back in the game you take this chance to continue further through the massive door like structures that you found yourself surrounded by. you realized it was near the center of the arena, with the big mummy like statue towering above. even though being in the center was probably the worst place to be right now as least it was hidden from the open areas that you had previously been in and also where you had been shot. still, you didn't want to stay for long, so you continued on until you heard voices, and that's when you stopped and crouched down low to avoid being spotted. 

"it's already been 8 minutes. where is everyone?" 

"isn't it better like that?"

"not if we can't get a high enough score before the time limit is out. let's just hope our other teammates are doing better than us."

"are you kidding? didn't you see those guys? they had fucking guns for gods sake! you think we can beat that? we only just barely managed to get through our game the other day."

you don't recognize the voices, they don't talk like the militants would in this situation. you imagined they'd be estatic, and wouldn't rely on their teammates to higher the score. no, this was definitely blue team, and it sounded like two players at that. maybe the three that had come together? but then, where was the third? 

as quietly as you can you scoot closer until they are in view. one of them had their backs facing you and the other was facing the second party. you had been right about it being the trio, but the missing person was no where in sight. had they split up or lost each other? they had seemed close, so it didn't seem right that the two of them were together and the other wasn't here. maybe she had died? you doubt she was lurking around the area if she were alive. maybe she really was dead or on a whole different side of the map. still, you had this opportunity and quickly you held up your gun and shot the one facing you, and then proceeded to shoot the one with their back turned. 

"what the hell?!" they yelled looking around wildly for the source. but by then you had already run off, going to the next secluded spot you could find. 

your gun showed 300 points now, and it was now that you noticed the little timer in the corner of the small screen, revealing that half the time had gone by. you decided you'd focus on the time later, and with that you went up once more, maneuvering through each and every twist and turn before slowing when you heard footsteps also coming your way. you quickly hid behind the nearest wall, heart beating fast that you swore everyone could hear. they were getting closer, and when they finally walked past you held up your gun. 

relief flooded through you at seeing the red color of their vest. they seemed surprised to see you there, but at seeing your own matching color they also relaxed. 

"fucking scared the shit out of me." she said, lowering her own gun. 

you looked around to make sure no one else was coming before getting up. it was the first time you were seeing someone else from your team, and you were a little relieved even if she was a militant. you hadn't heard too much about her, meaning she was either new or less dangerous than the others. 

"ah well, you can never be too sure." you said, trying your best to keep your voice low. the last thing you'd want is for the other team to not only know your location, but hers as well. 

she gave you a quick nod your way, "how much?"

you figured she was referring to how many times you'd been shot. you held up one finger, "just once. you?"

"same here. lucky bastard." she mumbled, like she was ashamed of having being hit. 

you decided to change the subject, "do you know the scoreboard?" 

she shrugs in response, "i only know my score. it's pretty fucking terrible so don't ask." 

you give her a nod, looking around once more to make sure no one was coming, "i know a better spot close by, come on." 

"weren't you the one saying it's dangerous to stick together?" she asked, but still followed you nonetheless.

"i meant that as a group. pairs should be fine." you answered, looking around the open space before quickly running across the arena to hide behind a pillar. 

she glanced around before doing the same, crouching beside you as you checked that there was no one in sight. with that you ran across once more, finding yourself in a little room with multiple window spaces and doorways. since there was two of you now you could afford to turn your back and hope she'd cover your blind spot.

she runs across as well and settles herself right behind you, gun pointed in the other direction as yours was pointed to the open space. you doubt lots of people would pass by, taking the back routes with cover would be better, which is exactly why you took it in the first place. if other players were too busy going through those secluded areas it'd be easy to get to other spots quicker before they noticed. 

you waited as more shouts erupted through the arena, meaning some of the other players had ran into each other and one of them was able to shoot the other. your grip on the gun tightened, eyes starting to hurt with all the glowing colors in the pitch dark of the room. 

suddenly you spotted them, blue and the glow of their white attire looking around. you held up your gun and shoot, praying that they still had chances and was releived at seeing their vests go dark and not an actual laser going through their head. 

you lowered your gun slightly, watching as the player went out of sight. your attention directed to your teammate however when you heard them curse loudly. 

you turned around to see three blue vests with their guns pointed, and that's when you noticed her own gray one. they were the same two players you had shot earlier, along with the missing member that you had been wondering about. it seems like they had found each other, and decided to ambush your teammate. quickly you shot the one nearest to you, watching as their vest matched the color of hers. one of them groaned loudly in frustration while the other stared in shock at their body. 

"no..no no no no that was my last chance!" they shouted, dropping their gun as their hands shot to their hair, pulling at the strands of black. 

the other two didn't even take the time to try and get you out. instead they stared in shock at their friend as a laser from seemingly no where shot him in the forehead, his body slumping to the ground as the back of his head smoked. you put a hand around your mouth, hands shaking as you quickly grabbed the girl's hand and ran off, trying to ignore the screams of his friends calling out to him. 

you were out of breath when you finally reached the bottom level, far from the two opposing players. you slumped against the wall as you tried to get rid of the scene imprinted in your mind. it was the first time you were seeing what these lasers you'd viewed in the sky could do, and it was just as horrible, maybe even worse, than you had imagined. 

and you had been the reason it happened. 

"oh god." you gasped out, feeling the churning of your stomach crawl up your throat. you slapped a hand over your mouth to keep from vomiting. 

"i'm guessing that was your first time seeing that." the girl said, seemingly unphased by everything. 

it was then that you realized that she wasn't new if she could watch that scene and not feel any remorse. you wondered just how much had she seen, and how long it took for her to get used to it. 

she crouched down beside you, eyes glancing around the area before settling on you, "look, you need to toughen up a bit. this kind of stuff? you're going to see it all over the borderlands, no matter what game it is. there is never going to be a game where no one dies. you're going to have people try to leave, even those who kill themselves. so what i need you to do is tell me another good place we can go so we can win this thing and go back home."

she was right. you had seen the things that happened during the mafia game, even the things in your second game. death was inevitable, and if you wanted to survive you had to go about it one at a time. and right now, you should be focusing on clearing this game. 

you gave her a nod, "sorry, i was just surprised." you got up and peeked around the corner. now that you were on the bottom floor things would be harder. every one still in the game would be able to spot you if paying attention, so your only bet now was to go through the back ways like the rest of the players had been doing. 

you turned around to tell her your plan when you noticed her gray vest, the red color it had bore gone as you heard her gun vibrate. it was the first time you noticed that she looked scared, hands trembling and her eyes widened like she hadn't been expecting it. that was when your own gun began to vibrate and your colors flash before going out. this could only mean one thing, you both had been shot.

"how many.." you began to ask, but before you could finish her forehead was shot clean through, her brown eyes now dull as she fell to the ground. 

you backed up in shock, before glancing around widely for the player that had killed your team mate. you spotted the flash of blue up in the top level. you groaned in frustration before getting up and running, trying to find any place that would get you up to that level. 

your legs burned as you ran, labored breaths escaping your mouth as you reached the top. even though she had been a militant, even though she had probably killed who knows how many people, she was still your teammate, and she had still helped you through this game. by now your vest had returned to its former color, and you crouched down when you spotted two blue vests through a window space. you realized it was the newbies you had talked to earlier, and luckily for you they were far away enough that they wouldn't be able to see you. you brought up your gun and shot one of them, quickly hiding for a couple of seconds before getting back up and shooting the other. 

you tried to block the screams from another player getting killed as you got up and ran off once more. there should be less than five minutes left of the game now. if you could just hold off for those last few minutes and avoid everyone you could clear this game. you could go home.

you stumbled as you fell against one of the walls, breathing hard as your legs felt like they'd give out on you at any moment. your hands rested on the wall to keep yourself upright, trying to catch your breath. it's been a while since you've ran so much, and now you regretted sitting out of p.e back in high school. 

"looks like the princess is still alive." 

you picked up your gun and pointed it at the voice, not knowing how to feel about the person standing in front of you. for one he was apart of your team, but on the other hand this was niragi, and having him around couldn't be good. 

he smirked, "you going to shoot your own teammate?"

you were still breathing heavily, but you lowered your gun nonetheless. 

"wow, you are really out of breath. not used to so much physical activity?" he teased, and you were about to defend yourself when you felt yourself falling, palms scraping against the carpet. 

you looked up to see niragi crouch down beside you and shoot from around the corner. it was then that you realized that he had pushed you, out of the way no less. but why? why go through the trouble of saving you? there was no way he could've known you only had your one chance left, and it wasn't like him to think of anyone other than himself. 

"dammit. i was really hoping they'd die." you heard him say, lowering his gun as he looked at you, a chilling smirk on his face. 

your gun buzzed and you looked down to see that there was less than a minute left of the game. you were relieved that it would be over soon. you thought back to the blonde and hoped he was already there waiting for you in the lobby. 

suddenly you heard running footsteps, and the flash of blue was all you needed to see to hold up your gun and shoot. their lights went out and you and niragi quickly crawled to the other side of the wall, listening to the footsteps run in the other direction. one last buzz came from your gun and the sound of the game system filled the entire arena. 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᎬNᎠᎬᎠ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ FᎾᏞᏞᎾᏔ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ ᏚᏆᏩNᏚ ᎢᎾ ᏞᎬᎪᏙᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎪᎡᎬNᎪ. 

you dropped your gun, feeling so relieved and tired at the same time. it was finally over, and now the only thing left was to see the score to see which team had prevailed as the winners. 

shakily you got up, legs struggling to keep you upright as you followed behind niragi. you both followed the exit signs, not speaking a word to each other. the other remaining players left their hiding spots as well and in total only seven players had survived. 

when you made it back to the room you all had received your equipment from you made quick work of clipping your gun back to your vest. you then proceeded to loosen the straps so it was easier to take off and finally put it back in it's place. no one said a word as you all left the room, stopping in front of a tv that would reveal the outcome of the game. 

the screen turned on, showing each players individual score. you were surprised to see you had gotten second place, niragi coming in first following the other militants. it then switched to show two split screens with the red and blue team's overall score, red team having a significantly higher score than the other.

you were relieved, although you had been expecting this outcome. from the beginning the blue team had a disadvantage, there was no doubt about it. the three players remaining on that team cried out as the militants laughed, even going as far as giving each other high fives in victory. 

you watched in regret as those same lasers killed them, niragi pointing and laughing at their dead bodies. you felt disgusted at his enjoyment.

ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ, ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎾ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᎾᎡᏚ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏔᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏚᏌᏢᏢᏞY YᎾᏌ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ Ꭺ ᏙᏆᏚᎪ. 

you took out your phone to see the club symbols supply you with eight days to live. you were grateful for the fact that you wouldn't have to participate until a little over a week later. but those players, the friend that you had killed right in front of them, and the newcomers that didn't even have a chance when it came to clearing this game. they wouldn't get any more chances to survive or go back home. 

you jumped in surprise when niragi slung an arm around your shoulder, leaning in close to show you his phone screen, "eight days isn't bad huh?"

"yeah, it isn't." you agreed, ducking so you could get out of his grasp.

the four of you left the building and once again you saw a table with a single card sitting on it. you reached over and grabbed it, putting it in your pocket before following the others to the car. you still didn't know why playing cards were left on the tables, maybe it was a sick joke of a souvenir from the creators of the game. still, you kept each and every one of them. you just hoped they'd be useful to you someday. 

you find yourself in the back seat with niragi once more. you hated it, but you told yourself that soon you'd be back at the beach. you just had to hold off for the next several minutes of the car ride. 

for a couple minutes you were safe. niragi had engaged in a conversation with the other two in the car so you busied yourself with looking out the window at the passing buildings. you hadn't really left the beach unless it was for games, so seeing the familiar buildings during the night was a nice change of scenery. maybe when you had time you could go out and explore more. it would be easier since there weren't any people to hold up lines and such.

"hey, last time, where were we?" you heard the male beside you say, and you tensed up when his hand once more took place on your thigh. 

"get off." you told him.

"what? i saved your life back there, you might as well repay me." he let out a small laugh, leaning even closer. 

"and i also saved your life, so that makes us even. besides, i'm not interested." you reached your hand over to remove his own when his other hand gripped your wrist.

the both of you stared at each other, you giving him a harsh glare while he just smiled at your reactions, "pull over." he told the militant driving, and your eyes widened at his words. 

you yanked your hand away and reached over to open the door but it was locked, and the car didn't allow you to unlock it from back here. fear struck in your heart as the car pulled to a stop and niragi grabbed both your wrists, shoving you against the window as he pinned them down. 

you struggled, kicking your feet so he'd back away, "let go of me!" you screamed, but the words died out and you gasped in pain when you felt a sharp pain hit you in the eye. it was then that you realized his hand was up in a fist. you screamed even louder.

"stop fucking struggling. i'll make sure you enjoy this so just relax." he grunted out, not at all phased by your struggles. even the two still in the car just watched like this wasn't attempted rape. what the hell was wrong with these people? did they think because of the way tokyo is now that it was okay?

he leaned in closer again and this time you were able to kick him in the face, hard enough that his nose started bleeding and he removed one of his hands to touch the bloodied skin. you took this chance to kick him where it hurts and when he doubled over in pain you reached through the space of the passenger seat and the car, somehow managing to click the unlock button. 

you hurriedly opened the car, stumbling when niragi got over his shock and grabbed a hold of your foot. your forearms and knees scrapped the asphalt but you continued to kick and scream for him to let go. the other two militants got out of the car as well to grab a hold of you along with niragi. 

was this really happening? why you? why right here? maybe you should've listened to chishiya. maybe you should've worn your jacket or walked back to the beach. why didn't you listen? why wasn't chishiya here? 

"stop it! i said let go!" you continued to scream. maybe if you were loud enough someone could hear you. maybe they'd come and help. 

"ha! you think people are going to be able to hear you? news flash, everyone in tokyo is gone!" niragi laughed, the others joining in with him.

somehow you were able to scratch one of the militants in the face and pull the others hair, them crying out in pain as they backed up as reflex. you took the moment that they had stopped trying to hold you down to push niragi off, using as much strength that you had left possible. gasping for breath you struggled to get up from the road and when you did you without them reaching out you ran, ignoring the shouts and curses thrown at you from them. you heard niragi tell them to get in the car and you pushed yourself to run even faster. 

you had to lose them. you trying to out run a car was like asking for a death wish. where could you go? where would be the best place to hide from these people? it was hard trying to think and run for your life at the same time, but eventually you spotted where the streets merged and you turned the corner of the building, thanking whoever had left the doors unlocked and entered. you hid in the closest room you could find before falling to the ground in exhaustion, struggling to catch your breath as you prayed they wouldn't follow you in. 

you weren't sure how long you stayed there for, and you didn't even realize that you were crying now. you weren't sure if it was from the pain of your bloodied skin or the fact that what niragi had tried to do had sunk in. 

why?

whу¿  
wну¿  
щну¿

why couldn't you stop crying? 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	8. ⌈ 7 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ! 

you didn't realize the extent of how terrible something could be until you actually experienced it yourself. it's like they said, you never know how someone truly feels until you walk a mile in their shoes. and now here you were, having just experienced it yourself, and you really wished you hadn't. you really wished that it could've been anything else. 

and it was like no matter how much you tried to block it, you couldn't forget the feeling of niragi's harsh grip on your wrists, pushing down hard enough so you couldn't move, or the way he had looked at you like you were just some play thing he could do whatever he wanted to with. maybe in his eyes you were. you doubt you meant anything to him which is exactly why he did what he did. but still, you couldn't understand how other victims could forget, or forgive, or come to terms with what had happened. didn't they feel as worthless as you did at this moment? didn't they want to get rid of the thoughts of blaming themselves as if it was their fault? 

щД₴ їт jц₴т уоц¿

and the perpetrators, didn't they feel any remorse? didn't they for even just one second feel as if what they were doing was wrong? didn't they stop to think about how the other person was feeling or stop to listen to the cries and screams for them to stop? 

weren't they human just like you?

you weren't sure how long you sat there alone, empty tears streaming down your face that you made no move to remove. eventually the tears stopped however, like you had ran out and for a while it was just you and the darkness of the night engulfing you, just like a warm blanket. you thought that maybe you should head back, they shouldn't be around anymore, but the numbness of your legs and the thought that he would be there in the lobby or just the beach in general made you second guess yourself. maybe you should just stay here, find yourself a nice little apartment in tokyo. you wouldn't ever have to see him again and you could just live on your own if you wanted to. would that be better? 

but then you thought about chishiya, and how he was probably waiting for you in the lobby. was it worth it? leaving him behind? were you really okay with leaving the man that you cared deeply for without even telling him a word? but chishiya would understand right? he would understand that you couldn't go back. 

however the more you tried to convince yourself the more you realized that you couldn't do it. chishiya had tried to do the same thing to you after all, and you weren't going to let your efforts for him to stay go in vain. it wouldn't be fair to him either. you told him you weren't going to die, and not returning was basically insinuating that that was what had happened. you didn't want to leave him wondering what had happened to you. niragi or not, if you were going to leave the beach it would be with the blonde by your side. 

so after several minutes of calming yourself down you shakily got up, trying to ignore how heavy your body felt as you walked. luckily for you the beach wasn't far away, and with the minutes you had spent in the car ride you had been close enough that it only took several minutes until soon enough you saw it in view, this time having no trouble with the guards as you went through the small archway. 

you kept your head low as you entered the main room, glancing around quickly for chishiya dressed in his white hoodie. you thought he'd be towards the back like he usually was, but that wasn't the case this time. you heart started beating a little quicker at that. was he running late in his game? was he already back in the room opting to wait for you there? or had whatever game he played tonight finally killed him? had you really returned for nothing? 

but then you saw him, with a tall woman in a blue bathing suit right beside him. you visibly relaxed at seeing he was alive and well, but another glance and you felt your stomach drop. it wasn't because of the girl beside him, but it was the fact that out of all people, he was talking to the man you had just played a game with. 

it looked like they were talking about something, with niragi giving him a smirk and chishiya looking at him with a bored expression. aguni was there too, and you watched as he cut in between the two, telling chishiya something. chishiya didn't seem convinced with whatever was told, but he gave him a short nod in understanding anyways. 

you debated going on over there. was it worth it being in such close proximity as the man who attacked you earlier on? suddenly you could once again feel his hands on your skin, and you gripped your arms tightly, digging your fingernails into the flesh to try and give yourself something else to focus on. it worked for a second, but eventually you looked back up to see niragi's eyes on you, piercing through your entire being just like back then. you froze, suddenly feeling so small under his gaze and although you hated it, you felt like you were going to cry any second now. 

but then chishiya's eyes were on you, and you saw the way his face contorted to that of relief at the sight of you. was that what they had been talking about? where you were? but, if that were the case, what exactly had niragi told him? you yourself felt a little better at seeing chishiya, but there was also the fact that niragi was right there. do you go over and risk letting chishiya know about what had happened? or maybe he already knew from the conversation just held between the two. but if you ran off now and he didn't know, he would ultimately figure out that something was wrong. 

what do you do?

chishiya's eyes continued to stay on yours, waiting for you to do something. you figured if you continued to stand here he would know, so with a shaky breath you decided to take your chances and head over to where they stood in the middle of the room. each step closer brought even more anxiety than the last, and when you finally stood in front of chishiya you tried your best not to look at the male in front of him. 

chishiya called out your name, "i was looking for you. what-" his words were cut short when you gripped onto the sleeve of his hoodie, hands trembling ever so slightly. his eyes glanced at you curiously, wondering what had gotten you so shaken up.

"can we just..go back to the room please? i'm really tired." you lied, giving him a pleading look to hopefully convince him to agree. 

his eyes shifted away from yours for a second before returning, giving you a small nod. you let out a small sigh of relief. at least he knew enough to agree and not ask questions. you were about to take a step towards the elevators when a hand clasped down onto your shoulder, and you stiffened under the familiar touch.

"not even going to say hello? after we just spent a game together too." you heard niragi say. you refused to look at him, you didn't want to know what kind of face he was making right now. there was also the fact that you wondered how he could talk to you so easily. how he could talk as if you were friends and he hadn't tried to violate you. 

"or maybe she just doesn't like you." chishiya answered back and you felt his hand shove niragi's off of your body. 

the blonde's hand ghosted over your back and began directing you away from the militants. once more you felt your anxieties lift at being away from him and instead next to the male that you'd rather be with. 

"you okay?" the girl that had been with chishiya asked, and now that you were finally getting a good look at her you realized it was kuina. 

you hadn't seen the girl since the day you met her so it was a surprise to see her so suddenly. somehow you were able to muster up a smile and a small nod, "it's nice to see you again kuina."

chishiya gave the both of you a curious glance, "you two know each other?"

kuina piped up with an explanation, "we met during her first days here." she turned her attention to you, clasping her hands together and giving you a small bow, "sorry i haven't been around, i promise i wasn't avoiding you." she flashed you an apologetic smile.

you waved off her worries, "i get it. i've been kind of busy too." but something was bothering you, "how do you guys know each other?"

"we had a game together tonight." chishiya answered. you gave him a short nod in understanding. it must've been an easy game if more than one person was allowed to live. and now that she was here with chishiya, you figured he also took an interest in her personality and the energy she gave off. 

a comfortable silence engulfed the three of you as you walked through the hallways until kuina stopped in front of her room door, "well, you guys should get some sleep, i'll see you around. for sure this time." she flashed you a smile before giving you both a small wave, finally heading off to her room when you returned it. you and chishiya took a few steps forward before arriving to your own space.

you opened the door and was immediately engulfed in the familiarity of your shared room. at least here it was only the both of you. no executives, no beach members, and certainly no niragi. 

you crawled into bed, expecting chishiya to get in with you but instead he went over to the little table where his makeshift gadgets were placed. you quickly realized he wasn't intending on sleeping anytime soon. but with the night you just had, you just didn't want to be alone. 

while still on the bed you grabbed chishiya's sleeve as he was walking past. he glanced down where your fingers were grasping the fabric before looking at you with curiosity, wondering what had caused you to stop him. normally you had no problem with him working during the night, even helping you at times. 

"can we just.." you paused, trying to find the right words and the ability to get them out of your mouth, "can you just hold me..please?"

he was silent for a moment, taken aback by the words that had left your mouth before letting loose a small sigh, climbing into the bed right next to you. immediately when he had lied down you wrapped your arms around his torso, burying your face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent and taking in as much warmth as possible. 

chishiya was surprised at the sudden attack of affection, a teasing smirk appearing on his face after getting over the initial shock, "when did you get so clingy?"

your hands tightened in response, and you buried your face further into his hoodie, "can't i give my boyfriend affection?"

he rose his eyebrow in question, "well you're acting weird."

you felt yourself stiffen, "i'm just tired."

he was quiet for a moment before talking, "did something happen at your game?" he asked, and you stiffened once more at his words. had he already figured you out? you knew you should tell him, it would be the right thing to do instead of just keeping it to yourself. but you couldn't get over the fear of how chishiya would react, and what he'd do to niragi as a result. 

"i'm just shaken up. a lot of people died." you mumbled. it wasn't a complete lie. you were still upset about the deaths this game just like the last two. 

chishiya was silent before you heard him shift so his hand was now on top of your head, petting the top of your head like he always did. 

"alright. just go to sleep then." he whispered, and you felt your lips tremble and your eyes water from the kindness chishiya was showing. it was in this moment that you were so glad that he was here and that you came back. even if he didn't give you this type of affection often, when it did happen it always made your heart warm and he never failed to make you feel better, like he knew exactly how to calm you down. 

you buried yourself even further, pressing your lips against the soft skin exposed by his sweater. you mumbled a small thank you until finally drifting off to sleep.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

"₴тоp їт! ї ₴Дїd lёт Gо!

нД! уоц тнїик pёоplё Дяё GоїиG то Ьё ДЬlё то нёДя уоц? иёщ₴ flД₴н, ёvёяуоиё їи токуо ї₴ Gоиё!"

нДиd₴ fяом Дll dїяёCтїои₴ кёpт уоц dощи, Диd ио мДттёя нощ мцCн уоц ₴тяцGGlёd уоц Cоцldи'т pц₴н тнём оff. нё lёДиёd їи Clо₴ёя, тнё Cоld pїёяCїиG ои нї₴ тоиGцё мДкїиG CоитДCт щїтн уоця ₴кїи.

"ї'll мДкё ₴цяё уоц ёиjоу тнї₴ ₴о jц₴т яёlДж."

"₴тоp! ₴тоp їт plёД₴ё. Cнї₴нїуД!"

you woke up in a cold sweat, heart beating rapidly in your chest. you could feel the pulse in your ears, and your breaths came in short like you had just came back from a long run. you ran your hands over your body but there was no one holding you down, and that's when you realized you were in your room and not back in the car with niragi. 

you relaxed ever so slightly at the fact that it had just been a dream. you tried to reassure yourself that you were okay. that the worst was over. but it was hard when it was all you could think about. and the way it had felt so real, just like back then, why must your brain remind you? why must it make you relive through it again? 

"bad dream?" you heard chishiya ask beside you, and that's when you realized that one of his hands was now on your shoulders, like he had been the one to wake you up. you exhaled another shaky breath, giving him a small nod. 

"sorry, i didn't wake you up did i?" you asked, giving him a glance. 

"i couldn't sleep." he answered back, his hand retreating back to his side. 

you glanced at the window to see it was early morning, maybe too early for other members of the beach to be awake but late enough that you wouldn't have to go back to sleep without feeling bad about it. you worried if you closed your eyes you'd find yourself back there, reliving the event once more. 

you took the covers off of your body, stumbling just a bit when your legs still felt sore from last night's running. but even if you rested, you doubt it would help much. you pushed your hair back and pushed through the dull ache as you went to the bathroom to freshen up. 

you turned on the sink and splashed cold water onto your face, hoping the cold would help wake you up more. your fingers gripped the edge of the counter as you looked up into the mirror, regret making its way onto your features at the sight. 

was this really what you looked like? messy hair and dark circles like you haven't slept. and just now you were noticing the bruises on your arms and the one forming around your eye, hues of purple and blue rimmed around it. you brushed your finger over the colors, wincing as it was sore at the touch. you put your hand back down and sighed, hating the reminder of what had happened now on your body. you could easily play it off as a result of the game but you? you'd always know the real reason. 

by the time you returned chishiya was also out of bed, his blonde hair a little messy from his sleep. his eyes looked a little tired and you felt bad that he was getting up so early in the morning because of you. 

"you can go back to sleep you know." you said, standing by the doorway of the room. 

you saw chishiya shake his head softly, "i have work to do."

"oh well, i'm going out to eat. do you want anything?" you called out. you were hoping he'd say yes so you wouldn't have to go alone. you were hungry but the thought of running into niragi was in the back of your mind, and although you really didn't want to you needed to eat, and you felt bad asking chishiya to get food for you when he was clearly busy.

once again he shook his head, "i'll get something later." 

you gave him a small nod, trying to mask the disappoint and turned around, getting ready to turn the door knob when you felt a small weight on your shoulders. you looked up in surprise to see chishiya right behind you, but the white sweater he usually bore was no longer on him. instead the fabric was around your shoulders.

without a word he moved in front of you, eyes downcast as he worked his way to zip up the hoodie. when it finally reached up to above your collarbone his eyes finally met yours. you felt your cheeks warm under his gaze, so alluring and piercing but definitely warmer than the other pair of brown eyes that you kept seeing. 

his eyes glanced down to the bruise under your eye, and he reached forward to brush his fingers against it, eyes flashing with worry and the question of where it had come from. once again you winced at the touch despite it being gentle and he paused, instead moving his fingers up as he gave you a small pat on the head like he was saying sorry, "eat well." and without another word he walked past you back to the table to get to work on his gadgets. 

shyly your hands brushed over the fabric. it was so warm, and the hoodie smelled just like chishiya. had he realized how exposed you felt just wearing the bikini set? your heart warmed even further at the thoughtfulness. even if people didn't think so chishiya put deep thought into every action, so the reason for giving you his hoodie was sure to have a good explanation. 

you looked back at the blonde, seeing that he had already busied himself with the taser he had been working on the past few days. you feel yourself smiling at the sight of him, eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated. you brought the fabric closer to your body before turning back around and leaving the room.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

eating up on the rooftop appears to be a routine for you now. for one it was quiet, so you could enjoy your food in peace opposed to the loud chatter of the cafeteria. it was also away from everyone on the beach, including the militants, so you didn't have to worry about running into them unless it was for getting food. 

you pushed those thoughts away however. you didn't want to think about anything related to those people, you worried doing so would remind you of what happened and you've had enough of remembering for today. you didn't even think back on your game, because just the thought reminded you of the people you had so easily killed without a second thought. where had your sympathy gone? did you really forget about the meaning of their lives? only after two games no less? 

"i thought i'd find you up here."

you tore your gaze away from the poolside to instead rest on chishiya. he was walking towards you with that easy going smile resting on his face. he gave you a small pat on the head when he got close to you before sitting down beside you, eyes also settling on what your attention had been on before. 

you hummed in response, "it's a nice spot."

chishiya's mouth quirked up in a smirk, "for watching people maybe."

you rolled your eyes playfully, "of course you would think of it like that."

he rose an eyebrow, "and you don't?"

you thought the question over. sure you enjoyed reading people, but coming up here wasn't the only reason it was one of your favorite spots, "somewhat. but it's just..quiet up here. i like it better than the never ending party going on down there."

chishiya nodded in understanding, "makes sense."

it was quiet for several minutes, just the both of you basking in each other's presence. you liked it this way. you didn't have to think about maintaining a conversation or thinking over what to say next. instead you could just focus on him, and everything in between. 

you heard chishiya call your name, and you turned to see his face several inches away from yours, "what really happened at your game?" 

you stared at him, eyes wide in surprise. you should've expected this. you should've known chishiya wouldn't buy the lies you had told him last night. he knew you best after all, and you had never been good at masking your emotions in front of him. 

but still, if chishiya were to lay a hand on a militant, and an executive member at that, you doubt he would come out of it alive. 

so once again, you lied for the sake of his safety, "after playing so many games, i'm starting to realize just how far humans are willing to go to survive." 

you could feel his gaze on you, like he was watching to see if you would give any other information of the game you played last night. but you remained quiet, and so he tore his eyes away from you and settled back to the poolside, "we live in a cruel world. back in the real world people were able to mask these ugly desires. but here in the borderlands, you truly see that humans only really care about themselves."

his words held nothing but the truth. you had seen it yourself, and you were almost down the rabbit hole as well, "i couldn't say it better myself."

"you're not going to deny it?" he asked. 

you just shrugged in response, "why would i deny something that is true?"

chishiya seemed surprised at your words but the shock was gone just as fast as it had appeared, "i thought you were all about seeing the good in everybody."

you let loose a small sigh. he wasn't wrong, that was how you normally were. maybe before it was to help justify the things that had happened to you, but why continue on doing so when each day and each action brought you further and further away from that idea? "i have to come to terms with the fact that not everyone is a good person." you had learned that the hard way, "but...people aren't born as villains. society made them so."

chishiya hummed, an amused smile on his face, "how poetic."

you gave him a grin, "got that from a book. pretty good right?"

"it's very touching." he agreed. 

silence engulfed the two of you, and you weren't sure why but the urge to tell him everything was bubbling it's way up your throat. maybe it's because of the smile on his face, or maybe because the guilt of not telling him was eating away at you, "hey chishiya?"

he hummed in response, eyes waiting for you to say something. but suddenly you couldn't do it, and you hated yourself even more. 

"ah, never mind." you said, turning away from him. 

"you think too much sometimes." you heard him say. like he knew what was going on inside your head.

"and you don't think enough." you retorted. 

"maybe. but give yourself a break." he said. 

you let out a bitter laugh, bringing your knees up to your chest and laying your head on them, "yeah, if only it was that easy."

silence engulfed you both once more. why didn't you say anything? didn't he deserve to know? you guys were together after all, and if something similar were to happen to him you'd want him to tell you right away. but would you be able to hold yourself back from getting him justice? you knew chishiya was smart, but would he let his emotions get in the way of rational thinking? suddenly chishiya spoke up, "there's a bookstore nearby."

you perked up at this, lifting up your head and placing you cheek in the palm of your hand, all precious thoughts forgotten, "are you suggesting we sneak out?"

"is that what you want to call it?" he gave you a cheshire like grin. 

"i didn't realize how rebellious you could be chishiya." you returned the smile. 

"i used to skip class everyday before meeting you. if you think i wasn't willing to break the rules you're wrong." in a way he was right. you never really doubted chishiya and his capability to break the rules. 

you let out a dramatic sigh, "alright alright." you paused, thinking over the request. a bookstore actually sounded good right now, "actually, i think leaving the beach for a while would do me some good."

"you make it sound like it's a bad place to be right now." you didn't miss the way he said the sentence like he wanted you to elaborate, explain to him yourself why you wanted to leave so bad. 

but you just gave him a shrug and a small smile, "maybe it is."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

it was a nice distraction. you and chishiya left the beach during games so it was easier to leave no questions asked and at first it was just the two of you walking around the empty streets, enjoying the quietness and the soft glow of the stars above. 

eventually you spotted what you had been looking for, a small little bookstore tucked in between two buildings that you would've missed it if it weren't for the fact that it was still in near perfect condition opposed to the other stores. eagerly you dragged chishiya along to the front doors, tugging onto the handles but it didn't budge. 

chishiya sighed, "well, we tried."

you sent the blonde a glare, "you're seriously going to give up that easily? we just got here!"

"clearly someone doesn't want you stealing their books." his eyes glanced at the locked doors to prove his point, even going as far as to tug on the handles himself. 

you pouted, "i doubt it's because of that. is there a rock somewhere that i can use?" you glanced around the sidewalk for the object. 

"breaking in? isn't that a crime?" chishiya sang, a smirk displayed on his face.

"only if you get caught." you sang back, still looking around. 

"i don't think you're going to be very good at criminal justice if you keep this up." of course he had to continue to pick at you. 

you let out a soft groan, "just shut up will you?"

without chishiya's help you found a big enough rock nearby and with the jagged end you forced it through the small glass of the window on the door, removing the remaining glass around it before reaching in and turning the lock. a smile made its way onto your features when it successfully opened, and you blew chishiya a raspberry as he rolled his eyes, still following you in nonetheless. 

he watched in amusement as your excitement seemed to physically show, your hands running across the spines of every book as you jumped around from shelf to shelf. chishiya relaxed at seeing you this way, he noticed that you had seemed down the last couple of hours so being able to do something to help distract what was causing you pain helped eased his own worries. 

by now you were towards the back of the bookstore where more of the young adult novels were, but unfortunately the light from the door didn't reach far enough to show the names branded into the covers. 

you squinted your eyes but it didn't help when trying to read the letters, "it's too dark to see anything." 

"does it really matter which one you choose?" by now chishiya had caught up to you, glancing at the spines but he too was having trouble reading them. 

"of course it matters. what if i already read it?" you answered back, just a little offended that he would ask such a question. 

the blonde didn't seem convinced, "then read it again."

"there's so many though and so little time to read them all. i can't just waste my time on the same books over and over again." you said, trying once more to read the printed words. 

you heard chishiya sigh before stepping closer to you, arms brushing as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an ipod. your eyes widened at this, remembering how it had been among all the other things chishiya had collected. but unfortunately the both of you were having a hard time fixing it. had he managed to while and you didn't notice? 

your questions were answered when he pressed a button and it lit up, providing not a lot but enough light that if close enough you could see letters. he moved it over each spine, giving you a glance like he was waiting for you to take your pick. 

with your excitement back you quickly scanned each cover as he passed by it, taking the ones that were unfamiliar to you off the shelf and giving them a place in the crook of your arm. 

eventually there was too many that your arm was starting to hurt under the weight, and you sent chishiya a pleading look, silently asking him to help you.

his eyes were looking at the pile of books threatening to fall off your arm and to the floor, "do you really need that many? you already have a lot back at the beach."

you gave him another pout, "i read all those already."

"then stop going through them so fast." he bit back. 

you sent him an annoyed look, "you're talking to someone with a reading addiction and the ability to read way too many words per minute. you really want me to slow down?"

chishiya just sighed once more before putting down the device and reaching over for your books. he shifted them so they rested more comfortably in his arm before walking towards the front of the bookstore. even though you wanted to keep browsing you figured you might as well take the help chishiya was giving you while he was offering. you both could always return another time. 

chishiya gave you a glance when you had caught up to him, "why do you like reading so much?"

you looked at him in surprise, not expecting the question, "hm? oh." you paused, thinking it over, "well, i always did it as a kid. i guess for me..the words in the pages were just a little bit better than reality." you gave him a small smile, "and right now, with us being in the borderlands, i'd much prefer the pages than the games."

chishiya stopped, and you paused along with him to give him a curious glance. did you say something wrong? you were just being honest. with your family always so preoccupied on your sister you were allowed to read as much as you wanted without them disturbing you, even going as far as to input yourself with the characters family instead of yours. wishing it had been like that and wondering why it wasn't.

what surprised you though was when chishiya placed down the books he had been helping you carry and walking to the counter where customers would pay. you wondered what he was doing until you saw the plastic bags now in his hands. and still without saying anything he crouched back down and began placing them in, being careful as to not damage the pages. when you finally got over your shock you crouched down with him, helping him place the rest into the bags. 

you both stood up, and this time you were ready to leave but then chishiya was going back to where the shelves were, bringing out the small light once more. even in the dark you could tell his eyes were on you, waiting for you and that's when you realized he was letting you get even more of the stories you wanted to read. 

happily you placed your bags down and walked over to him, giving him a grateful smile and you didn't miss the way his mouth quirked up in a small one in return before once more gliding the light over the spines, you taking in as much as you could. 

your arms hurt by the time the both of you returned, bags heavy with the bonded pages of endless words but your heart felt light, and once more you realized just how grateful you were for the blonde and his thoughtfulness. 

"what would i do without you chishiya?" you asked as you finally returned to your room, placing down your bags beside your side of the bed.

"die probably." he was quick to answer. 

you rolled your eyes, "very funny." but still, the smile on your face didn't leave. if anything chishiya was right. without him you'd probably be wallowing in misery by yourself for much longer than you had been doing already. and maybe you wouldn't forget, or forgive, but you knew that slowly but surely you'd get better. 

and one day you could come to terms with everything that was happening, borderlands and all. 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	9. ⌈ 8 ⌋

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not me just finding out chishiya is his last name so just forget the rest of the times i accidentally reversed it :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

sometimes you questioned if chishiya shuntaro was actually a cat. 

it would make sense given the situation right now, with you in bed with one of the books you had received the other day and chishiya resting his head in your lap. you weren't sure at first if he was sleeping or not, but then you heard the soft snores coming from his mouth and the relaxed state of his face, enjoying the feel of your fingers running through his blonde strands. it was a miracle really that chishiya was with you right now since normally he was working on his makeshift weapons during this time of the night. but you weren't really complaining and neither was he. 

you paused your actions and watched in amusement as he furrowed his eyebrows, silently asking you why you had stopped your ministrations. you felt the soft smile make its way to your face as you resumed running your fingers through, his face relaxing once more as he softly leaned into the touch. 

the blonde definitely reminded you of the feline, and not just because of this. he was also the type to trust very few, and when it came to affection he only ever wanted it when he was ready, and each and every time you were more than glad to receive and serve. 

eventually though the sounds of the all too familiar sirens could be heard echoing through the hallways, letting everyone know that games would be starting soon. unfortunately for the both of you your visa's expired today, meaning you both had to leave the relaxed atmosphere that had ended far too early. 

you glanced down to see chishiya blink his brown eyes open, always the light sleeper as he removed himself from your lap that had served as his pillow. he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before getting up and walking over to the little table, eyes shifting between the items before grabbing the taser he had finally finished the other day as well as his ipod and earbuds. 

he turned around to face you, and you pouted as you let out a load groan, plopping your entire body over the bed as an indication that you didn't want to leave. you could tell that chishiya was probably rolling his eyes in annoyance right about now as he grabbed the blanket your were over and began tugging it from under your body. 

you yelped at the unexpected shift in position before sending the blonde a glare. he seemed unphased however as he began to pull once more. 

"chishiya." you whined, curling yourself as you hugged what remained in your grasp. you really didn't want to leave, it was far too soon. why did you guys have to listen to the rules of the game masters?

"that isn't going to work with me. hurry up otherwise i'm leaving you here." he said, dropping the fabric. 

you let out another groan, rolling over so you were facing the ceiling, "do we have to?"

you looked up at him in surprise when you felt his finger poke you in between your eyes, "unless you want a laser through your forehead i suggest you get up."

you grumbled at his words, reaching up to rub where his finger had been. chishiya was right though. not going to games before visa's end result in a laser through the head, and you'd rather not have to experience that for yourself or for him. 

you rolled over once more, pressing your face into the mattress so your words were muffled, "it feels like no matter how many days we gather for our visas they always end too soon."

you lifted your head at the feeling of chishiya petting your hair, brown eyes soft in understanding. like he knew exactly how you felt. you were sure that was the case, and the thought that he knew where your unwillingness was coming from was enough to finally get you out of bed. before joining chishiya at the doorway you grabbed one of the pocket knives he was able to retrieve while out during his games, putting it in your pocket just in case along with a small book. you were also quick to grab a sweater you had retrieved from the supply of clothes here at the beach since the white hoodie you had been wearing before stopped smelling like chishiya, and you had told him you wouldn't wear it unless he wore it himself for a couple of days. he had smirked, teasing you but still complied nonetheless. 

after zipping it up you joined him at the door, walking side by side as the both of you began the journey downstairs, weaving through the halls and going down the steps. eventually you both made it to the entrance of the lobby, and there you both retrieved your game venues from the paper slips being handed out. 

you quickly scanned the words on the piece of paper. it seemed like the venue was close by this time, easily a short car ride to get there. you turned towards chishiya to ask about his assignment but paused at the sight. 

his eyes were wide, but it didn't seem like from surprise. no, this was pure fear on his face, an emotion he had never expressed, and before you could ask for the reason your eyes glanced down to the words on his piece of paper, finally understanding his fear and suddenly you could feel the emotion creeping into you as well. 

every letter and every number was matching, meaning only one thing. you both were in the same game venue. 

you weren't sure how to react. for one you'd know where chishiya was at all times and that somewhat put your heart at ease at the thought of not having to wonder if he had made it back yet and such. but there was also the fear of heart games, as well as games that only allowed one person to live. you knew you'd gladly sacrifice yourself for him, but would chishiya let you go that easily? 

you shifted your eyes to look at him once more but he still hadn't said anything, like he still couldn't believe it. so far the both of you had been lucky in being separated for games, so this happening out of the blue made the shock understandable. 

you were quick to try and coax him out of it however, reaching out and brushing your fingers against his. he blinked before settling his gaze on you and you felt your heart drop at the sight. this man, he was looking at you like this was the last time he'd see you, alive and breathing. you had never seen chishiya so scared, even when you found out about games and such. you knew he hadn't cared too much about the predicament, you knew he didn't care about his own life. but yours? you were the only reason he remained here in the borderlands and the reason he stopped taking risks that could potentially kill him.

the thought of leaving you here alone was enough for him to want to live. 

you heart began to ache at the sight. you gripped his hand in yours, lowering it so he wouldn't look at the words inscribed there. you wanted him to look at you, and only you, so he could understand that everything would be okay. that you were still here, still alive and unharmed. and despite you being in the same game you'd find a way out. you'd work your way through whatever hardships would get thrown at you. 

you watched his face closely, and eventually he relaxed his features ever so slightly, his own way of saying that your silent words had gone through to him. you sent him a small smile before removing your hands from around his own. 

you both listened to the same speech that hatter provided, and when it was over you began walking out to leave the beach and head to your game. you found the car that would take you to your venue, chishiya taking his free hand out from his pocket and opening the door for you. but when he waited for you to get in, no matter how much you willed your body to move you couldn't.

this time you were the one that was scared, body frozen in fear and looking at the empty back seats and the open car door. suddenly you were back there, screaming at niragi to let go and feeling his hands sliding across and gripping your skin. 

you dug your nails into your arm to snap out of the memories, slowly backing away from the car. chishiya gave you a curious glance, giving a quick look to the seats before returning to you. 

you cleared your throat, putting a small smile on your face, "can we walk instead? it's not that far."

you sent him a pleading look, and his eyes looked at you like he was searching for another explanation. it seemed like he had either found it or didn't feel like arguing with you when he gave you a light nod, closing the car door and beginning the walk to the venue.

it was silent, and during that time you were able to ease the shaking of your hands and the horrid memories floating to the surface of your mind. you didn't think cars would trigger such things to appear, but it seems like you wouldn't be driving in them anytime soon. the thought made you upset with yourself. were you really pathetic enough to not handle car rides? you knew niragi wasn't there, it was only chishiya who would sit in the back with you, so why did you get so scared?

eventually the venue came into sight, a large apartment complex shaped like an L with several stories, at least 7 it seemed. you both walked up the steps and through the small lobby, noticing that several players were already present. you and chishiya grabbed one phone each, the screen lighting up and explaining the time that remained until registration closed. when the voice when quiet you both made your way to a corner where the wall expanded out to provide privacy from the front entrance. 

chishiya crouched down and brought out his taser, plugging it into the outlet. you quickly realized he was doing it to charge it before the game began. you just hoped neither of you would need the weapons brought for this game. 

he stood up and began leaning against the wall, popping in his earbuds and you heard the soft sound of his music. you yourself decided to sit down on the floor, next to his legs and lean against them as you brought out your book. you had technically already read this one but it helped distract you from the anxieties of not knowing what game you both got yourselves into. 

you would glance up every so often from the stares you felt the other players giving you two. you expected it, since a good couple were not first timers and seeing one listening to music and charging what looked like a phone while the other was reading a book like any other day, it was expected for them to think you both were either new or crazy. 

you didn't mind though, they could analyze you guys all they'd want. eventually you looked over to see another player walk in, first timer for sure with the worried and confused look on his face. you felt bad, especially since he began asking those around what was happening.

"don't do it." you heard chishiya say, and you looked up and gave him a pout.

"he's new. we were once too you know." you tried to reason.

"getting involved with new comers is like asking to get killed. it's best if you just worry about yourself." he said, face blank as if the words that came out of his mouth was something normal to say. 

you think deep down you knew he was right. despite being in the same position as him before, now you knew everything, and right now you should be more focused on getting through this game with the both of you alive. you wouldn't be able to do that if you helped this player out. but you promised yourself that if he survived, you'd invite him to the beach just to make his life a little easier. 

another player entered, a girl around your age wearing a sweater and a bright pink tank top. everyone's eyes were on her, probably trying to figure her out like you were doing right now. she didn't look new, instead she looked determined, like whatever game this turned out to be she'd get through no matter what. you decided in that moment that you liked her, and hoped that she'd survive till the end.

after she had picked up her phone the same guy came up to her, "uhm, excuse me. where did all the people in tokyo go?"

before she could answer someone you didn't expect to show up walked right between them, the big man also known as aguni grabbing his phone off of the table before walking off. you watch him go towards another player that you realized must have also been a militant but you hadn't seen him around before. perhaps new to the group.

you shifted your eyes back over to the two when you heard him speak up again, "this thing here-"

the poor man was interrupted yet again, this time by a pair of two players. definitely close enough to be friends. one was wearing a dark blue hawaiian shirt over a gray one while the other with a yellow shirt and a gray sweater. definitely not new either. 

"there's a lot a people here. maybe one's a doctor." you heard the one with blonde dyed hair speak, and your ears perked up at the words. they were looking for a doctor? it didn't seem like either of them had any injuries themselves, so maybe for another friend? did they really come to this game just to find help? 

the four of them all looked at each other before the two new players walked forward and grabbed their phones, the girl walking off to her own spot. one of them, the one in yellow, glanced around at all the players until finally settling on you and chishiya. his eyes went from the book clasped in your hands and the charging taser next to chishiya until finally settling on you. you both stared at each other for a moment before you gave him a small smile and a short wave. he seemed surprised at the gesture before hesitantly returning it, and with that you also determined you liked this guy as well. 

ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎻᎪᏚ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ Ꭺ ᎢᎾᎢᎪᏞ ᎾF 14 ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪNᎢᏚ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. 

you felt chishiya nudge his foot against your back, and you turned around to look at him. he crouched down so he was at your level, taking out one of his earbuds out and putting a hand on your head. 

"whatever happens, you aren't allowed to die. got it?" he said. 

"me? die? as if." you gave him a sad smile, "you aren't allowed to either though. okay?"

he let out a short breath, eyes shifting away from you for a moment before returning, "okay."

"you have to promise." you pressed on, holding out your hand and extending your pinkie. he looked at your outstretched finger before letting out another sigh, interlocking his own with yours. "you aren't allowed to break it."

he rolled his eyes, "i know how these work."

ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢу, FᏆᏙᎬ ᎾF ᏚᏢᎪᎠᎬᏚ. 

you relaxed ever so slightly at the announcement of the type of game. this meant that you both had a chance. you wouldn't have to worry about playing with hearts to survive. 

but, this was still a spades game, and neither of you were athletic in the slightest. maybe chishiya just a little bit more than you but with aguni here, if it was team against team and you both went against him, how would you be able to outsmart him? 

with chishiya's pinkie still interlocked with yours he tightened it, and you glanced back up to look at his eyes, seeing that he was also a little bit more relaxed at the game. 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾF ᎢᎪᏩ. ᎡᏌᏞᎬ, ᎡᏌN ᎪᏔᎪY FᎡᎾᎷ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᎪᏩᏩᎬᎡ. 

you looked back to hear all the players begin to talk amongst themselves about the game. you were beginning to think yourself. who was the tagger? you quickly scanned each individual but none of them stood out, so you doubted it was any of the ones here right now. did that mean that the tagger was already in the apartment building?

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN, ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎪFᎬ ᏃᎾNᎬ ᎻᏆᎠᎠᎬN ᏆN ᎾNᎬ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᏌᏆᏞᎠᏆNᏩ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᏔᏆᎢᎻᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ. YᎾᏌ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᎻᎬN ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎾᏴᏓᎬᏟᎢᏆᏙᎬ ᏆᏚ FᏌᏞFᏆᏞᏞᎬᎠ. ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ, 20 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ. 

ᎪFᎢᎬᎡ 20 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏢᎪᏚᏚᎬᎠ, ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏴᎾᎷᏴ ᎻᏆᎠᎠᎬN ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᏌᏆᏞᎠᏆNᏩ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎬXᏢᏞᎾᎠᎬ. 

so that meant not only did you have to avoid the tagger, you also had to find the hidden room as well. one thing was bothering you though, how did you determine if you've been tagged? by physical touch or was it something else? 

ᎢᏔᎾ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

"come on." you watched as chishiya removed his finger and turned around to unplug his taser, putting it into his pocket and you were quick to get up as well. with only two minutes left until the tagger would be announced you had to find a spot that would be the best for both avoiding the tagger and finding the room. and with the shape of the apartment complex, there was one place that would be right for this game. 

chishiya seems to have read your mind as you both headed to the elevator, you clicking the button for the top floor and listening to the soft hum of it moving. eventually the doors dinged and you both walked out, heading towards the far corner where you could see each and every floor diagonal to you. 

"if you choose your starting position, this is the perfect location." you heard chishiya say, a small smirk on his lips as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the ledge. 

you smiled and did the same, resting your cheek in the palm of your hand as you looked at him, "great minds think alike." 

his eyes glanced at you before turning to face you fully, "oh? we have company." 

you realized he was looking at something behind you and you turned to see aguni and the other militant. they were looking around for something it seemed, and finally their eyes rested on the both of you. chishiya put one arm up in a wave and you gave a small one as well. believe it or not you actually liked aguni, he was the one who kept the militants in check after all, and plus he seemed to be good friends with hatter who despite being a little crazy was a good person nonetheless. 

aguni just ignored you both however and continued on walking. 

"what? that's nasty." chishiya let out a dramatic sigh and you just laughed softly in response. 

"guess he doesn't like you chishiya." you teased, turning back around to face him. 

"he ignored you too you know. you aren't special." he bit back, his smirk playing on his lips. 

you stuck your tongue out at him, chishiya only widening his smirk in response at your childish behavior. he turned back around to face the edge, eyes shifting between each of the players that could be seen from your position. you pressed yourself closer to him, trying to obtain some of his warmth due to the windy night of this game. 

"let's see. everyone looks like they're about to die, as usual." he sang.

you frowned at his comment, "are you always this negative during games?"

he shrugged, "i'm only stating the truth."

your frown deepened, "still, you never know."

chishiya gave you a glance before returning his attention to the complex, "you're going to get yourself killed if you continue to think like that."

you hated to admit it but you knew he was right. even right now, the both of you looking out for each other was bound to get you killed at one point. but even with that thought, you still didn't care. 

your phones dinged, and you watched as chishiya brought his out.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ ᏆᏚ 20 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ. ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᎪᏩᏩᎬᎡ ᏆᏚ ᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎾᏙᎬ. 

right after those words a loud speaker came to life, blasting upbeat music throughout the complex. you waited in anticipation for any sight of who was it, leaning forward ever so slightly and straining your ears to listen in the silence. chishiya put his phone back in his pocket, folding his arms once more as he watched with you. 

you turned at the sound of the elevator moving, going up it seemed. you prayed that they wouldn't come to your floor, and when you heard the ding and no one came out of the elevator you figured out they were a floor below you. 

for a moment it was silent until loud footsteps echoed throughout the halls, each step taken causing more anxiousness to course through each player. after several seconds of no one moving you saw the same girl from earlier quickly run through the hall, hoisting herself up onto the ledge and bringing herself down a level. 

you blinked in surprise, already liking the girl even more. more movement and you realized that some players had begun to move, hands tugging on the handles but no doors opening. you wanted to go down and help, but one step towards the hall and you felt chishiya grab the back of your sweater, bringing you close to him again.

"i don't want you out of my sight." you heard him say. 

"i'm just going to check the rooms on this floor." you tried to convince him, but the blonde was being frustratingly protective tonight.

"no." the one word response made you angry.

"chishiya, it's not fair that these people are risking their lives to find the safe zone and we're just up here watching." the least you could do was clear this floor as with or without the room everyone was looking for. 

"so let them. you don't have to do everything yourself. it's better if you let other people do the dirty work and then come in during the right time." he reasoned. 

you didn't like his answer, you all should be working together to clear the game. but unfortunately that was the way chishiya thinks, and the male was stubborn, wanting things to go only his way. at times you would fight back with him but this time, you knew it was because he didn't want you to die. he wouldn't allow you to leave after all, and so you grumbled before going back to watching the lower floors with him. 

you jumped when you heard gunshots, much louder than normal thanks to the heavy silence. you put your head up, eyes scanning to see where it had come from but you couldn't find the source. it didn't sound like it was on your side of the apartment complex, so it must've been near the stairs maybe? 

and an even more terrifying thing you realized was, getting shot meant getting tagged. 

your hands tightened when you heard even more shots and the sound of yells and running footsteps going down the stairs. you noticed that three players had found themselves near the lower floors, two of them running and hiding inside a hidden compartment while the other continued the descent down. you quickly realized it was the same ones from earlier, with the blonde hair and yellow shirt. 

you watched in anticipation as the tagger, revealed to not be one of the players based on the clothes and the horse mask covering their face glanced down the hall. when they realized no one was there they continued downwards, towards the unlucky player that hadn't followed them. 

more seconds ticked by until you heard his screaming, running down the last floor and towards another player that had been checking doors. he looked at him in confusion before eyes widening in horror at the tagger who had put bullets into the running players back. 

you couldn't exactly hear what he was saying but he turned to run, but not away. no, he left the apartment as a whole, and you watched in regret at seeing the red laser go through his skull and as he fell to the ground and down the stairs until finally stopping. 

you couldn't watch this anymore. not being able to go down there and do something was eating away at you. chishiya noticed the white of your knuckles from clenching your hands so hard, and for a moment he felt bad. but he still wasn't about to let you blindly throw yourself to save others. he didn't want to watch a bullet go through your body like he had just witnessed. so instead he pushed himself up and went behind you, pressing his chest against your back and wrapping his arms over your shoulder until bringing his hands up to cover your eyes. 

you felt your body warm at the feeling of his body pressed against yours and his warm palms over your eyes. the thoughtfulness of chishiya doing this so you wouldn't have to watch made your heart warm and start beating a little quicker. the bliss was short lived however and you jumped once more at hearing more shots and this time two girls scream. you felt chishiya rest his head on your shoulder, the hair peeking out from his hood tickling your cheek. you focused on that instead of the cries from below. 

several minutes passed before you heard a shout, "everyone! the tagger is currently on the second level of the central area!" 

you heard another person who must've been with him shout as well, "stop it! you'll get killed!"

"the tagger has bad vision because of his mask! let's inform each other of the tagger's location and search for the safe zone together!" he continued, ignoring his friends shouts at him to stop.

you gingerly lowered chishiya's hands, keeping them clasped in your own as you realized the one who had been shouting was the man in the yellow shirt. 

"it's a good idea. but no one will respond." you heard chishiya's voice from behind you. 

"i'm sure someone will." you replied. you didn't know where the tagger was yourself so unfortunately you couldn't help. 

"and risk their location to the tagger? all that yelling is going to get them killed." he reasoned again. leave it to chishiya to have a good argument.

luckily you had one as well, "it could save your life though. imagine turning the corner and the tagger is there. at least you know beforehand if someone were to call it out."

you felt chishiya hum against your skin, "let's see who's right then."

suddenly you heard the same girl who had jumped from the ledge shout in response, "the tagger is moving from the fourth level of the central area! anybody nearby, run!"

you smiled at that fact that you had been right about liking this girl as well as being right in your small bet with chishiya. 

"really?" chishiya sounded surprised.

you couldn't help the triumphant smile that made its way to your lips, "told you." 

you watched as she rushed towards the hall, seeing an elderly woman there clutching her phone. she seemed to be telling her something, but at turning around and seeing the tagger there she once more hoisted herself up onto the ledge and jumped to grab the pole as the tagger clicked the trigger, killing the woman as the girl barely escaped to the floor above. 

you quickly realized that her stunt from before was not luck but actually skills, climbing in fact. 

chishiya seemed to have read your mind and was amused by the new piece of information, "a climber? she's pretty good."

"she must be really good at spades game. makes sense why she's survived this long." it was amazing to see her jump so easily. this area and the game was made just for her. 

after the announcement you heard more gunshots. you wanted to look away but something was telling you that this was important. you peeked down and saw that the gunshots had pierced through a door, but that wasn't the interesting part. it seemed like there were also bullets on the outside ledge, like the tagger had shot from a distance, something they hadn't done before. the only reason they'd do that is if the room held some sort of importance.

"chishiya." you called out. 

"i saw. but wait just a little bit." he replied. 

you nodded, seeing that the man in the yellow shirt was crouching while running towards the door, and you thought he had figured it out too but instead you saw him bring another player out. it surprised you to see him risk his life to help the player and you were happy at the fact that you had been right to also like him as well. 

you felt chishiya shift from behind you and bring his phone out so the both of you could see the screen. the timer ticked down, showing only around 6 minutes left until the game ended. 

he removed his arms from around you and stepped back, putting his phone back in his pocket and taking off his hood, giving you that all too knowing smirk, "shall we begin?

you smile back, staying close to him as you both entered the elevator. as he pressed the button for the floor your thoughts wandered, mainly because something was bothering you about the game. why hadn't the tagger just stayed in front of the door? were they trying to eliminate everyone so no one could gang up on them? but they had a gun, so they clearly had the advantage here. 

you decided to voice your thoughts aloud, "somethings bothering me."

chishiya glanced at you, "about?"

you turned your body to face his, "the tagger chasing people. when they could've just stayed in front of the safe zone. sure we'd know that that's the right place but, wouldn't it make more sense?" 

chishiya just shrugged in response, "does it really matter now? the game is almost over. after this we'll forget all about why the tagger chose to do what they did."

you figured he was right, but you couldn't just let the thought go. before you could try to reason further the doors opened, and together you continued down the long hallway. you weren't sure where the tagger was as of right now, but you could no longer hear their footsteps, meaning something must've caught their attention. 

as you got closer to the door another player emerged, and it was revealed to be the guy in the yellow shirt once again. you felt a smile grace your lips at the sight of him, and you knew chishiya was also amused at the fact that he had found it out too. 

"so you realized that too?" chishiya asked, his smirk also gracing his lips. 

the male stepped forward, "yes. the safe zone is in this apartment." he reached forward towards the door handle, but paused, like he was debating something in his head.

chishiya glanced down at his clasped hands before returning his gaze back to him, "aren't you going to open it?"

"why did the tagger chase us? they could have just waited here." he asked.

your eyes widened in surprise at seeing him voice the same thoughts as you, "i thought the same thing. weird isn't it? it would mean certain victory."

he nodded, "exactly."

chishiya cut in between the two of you, "seems like there's something else we don't know." he brought his hand out of his pocket, revealing his phone and showing his screen, "however, if you don't open it..." he trailed off. 

the male nodded, glancing over at another ding that sounded through the hall.

ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᎾNᏟᏞᏌᎠᎬᏚ.

there wasn't much time left. he had to open the door before wherever the tagger was found you guys. you watched as he got ready to open the door but you quickly reached forward for his hand to stop him. 

he looked at you curiously and you grabbed his arm so he was on the left side of the door, "just in case something comes out."

his eyes widened before nodding, finally opening the door. he opened it all the way, and you three waited until it seemed like nothing rushed out before peeking over. it looked like any other room, dark and small and no sign of anyone there. 

you give a small nod to chishiya and you all walked in, glancing around the empty space. arisu walked towards what looked like another door while chishiya inspected the bathroom. you on the other hand decided to stick by the doorway incase the missing tagger revealed themselves. 

so far nothing had happened, so you figured you had been wrong and worrying about nothing. but suddenly you saw an arm extend from the hidden space between the two walls. your eyes widened at seeing the barrel of the gun, extended out to point towards the two males near the door. 

the male turned around, "look out!" 

"chishiya!" you screamed, reaching forward and tugging his sleeve so he stumbled back while the male threw himself to the ground. 

you fell on your bottom from the force of chishiya falling, and he quickly looked from you to the second tagger. he reached into his pocket and brought out his taser, turning it on and jabbing it into their side. 

the tagger fell to the ground, and you quickly stood up and put your hands into your pocket, feeling around for the pocket knife just in case as you crouched down low towards the individual, poking them with your foot. they didn't move, so it seemed like the shock had been effective. 

the male joined you and chishiya in watching the fallen tagger, chishiya looking at his taser with pride, "it never hurts to be prepared-"

suddenly more gunshots were heard, the bright flash blinding all three of you. you weren't sure what was happening but you felt a pair of arms grab you and tackle you to the ground, right outside of the room and the loud sound of the door shutting. you groaned in pain at the impact, eyes glancing around to see that chishiya had been the one to take you to safety and was holding the door close. you both waited with racing hearts but eventually you heard shuffling and you figured the tagger had gone back to the other door where you were sure the other player was. 

chishiya cautiously removed his hands from the door handle, running his fingers through his hair as he looked at you. you gulped before pushing yourself up and joining him in leaning against the wall. 

"you okay?" he asked, and you looked at him in surprise before nodding.

you leaned you head back against the wall, letting out a shaky breath, "that was close."

you glanced over to see chishiya nod in response, taking out his taser and weighing it in his hands, "i should've let it charge more."

"it was pretty effective at first though. i seriously thought they had been knocked out." you tried to reassure him that his creation wasn't a fail. 

chishiya smiled at you before you heard the sound of the player's voice, "someone please come over here! the safe zone is in apartment 406! it's impossible to clear the game alone! we need two people to do this!"

you heard chishiya curse under his breath, "seriously?"

you felt the same way, but were you really surprised? of course the game masters would make it this way. if anything, they were probably counting on only one person surviving just to find out they needed to keep someone else alive in order to leave. 

you heard someone shout out a name. arisu was it? was that the player currently stuck in the apartment alone? you heard more gunshots come from inside, and you began to worry for him. 

ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ, ᎾNᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ. 

you tugged on chishiya's sleeve, "we have to help him. otherwise neither of us is going to survive this game."

chishiya sighed before nodding, getting up and cautiously opening the door and peeking inside. the tagger wasn't in sight, but you could hear the grunts and struggles in the now open door. cautiously you both creeped over to the doorway, you behind chishiya. you saw him peek in before stumbling back at the sound of gunshots, making you fall with him. 

"someone! please come!" you heard him yell. you tried to rush forward but chishiya grabbed onto you, not allowing you to enter the room. 

"he's going to die!" you yelled.

chishiya's arms just tightened around you in response, "just hold on a second."

"the hell are you talking about? there isn't much time left!" you shouted back. didn't he understand how drastic the situation was? 

more shots, with the system announcing only 30 seconds remained. you gave chishiya a panicked and pleading look. finally he let go and put his arm out so you wouldn't get up before peeking through the door again, only to have to step back once more at more shots. 

he gave you a quick glance before moving forward again, another voice sounding through the room. it was the climber, and you peeked in as well, seeing her move out of the way when the gunfire was directed towards her. 

"hey!" chishiya shouted, turning on his taser and throwing it towards her. she reached forward and grabbed it before forcing it to their leg, the tagger going down once more. 

the count down began and you watched as they both looked at each other and reached for the two red buttons, successfully pressing them and falling to the floor. 

you relaxed at seeing they had not only pressed it in time but had also made it without any serious injuries. your phones dinged.

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ. ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ.

you smiled at that, but it quickly fell at seeing that the tagger's mask had fallen off during their fall. it was revealed to be a woman, human just like the rest of you. as she stumbled to get up the climber and the male put their guards up, watching her every move. 

whimpers of fear escaped her lips as she looked at all of you, and you felt your heart ache at the sight of her scared face. it was then that you realized that this woman, she had been a player just like the rest of you, but with her own set of rules. you had been in the same position as her after all, during your first game as a mafia member tasked to kill the citizens. this game must've been the same, but unlike you she had failed. 

you stepped forward and crouch down, the woman watching you with wide eyes as she shuffled back. you reached out a hand, "are you okay?" your eyes drifted down to the collar around her throat, similar to the one you also wore back then. but the device was beeping, and your eyes widened the faster it got, "ma'am-"

it exploded, red crimson liquid spraying onto your face and the walls around her. you were frozen, not making a move to wipe it away. you watched in horror as she stumbled to the ground near your feet, eyes glassed over and staring up at your own. you think a small sound left your throat, heart racing and breaths leaving your lips way too quickly. but still you didn't move. 

you heard footsteps as someone quickly left the room. you didn't look to see who it was, but you heard another pair of footsteps, this time crouching down towards you. 

"you okay?" the feminine voice asked, and you just gave a numb nod in response even though it was all lies. you weren't okay. this woman was just trying to survive, you knew she didn't want to kill anyone. 

just like you hadn't wanted to kill anyone either. 

the girl gets up and leaves the room as well, and still you couldn't move. why wouldn't your limbs work? it was that easy. so why was it so hard now?

you felt a light weight on your shoulder and chishiya came into view, crouching down low i front of you and covering the view of the woman. you saw him reach forward and begin to wipe your face, the soft cloth now stained red. he didn't say anything, just the soft patting on your face and around your neck. 

somehow you found your voice, forcing the words out of your mouth, "that woman...she was just trying to survive too."

he paused in his action, eyes settling on yours. you stared back and heard chishiya let out a small sigh, putting down the cloth and leaning forward, wrapping his arms around you. "i know."

you didn't cry, even though you knew you should. but instead you just numbly watched as chishiya let go and began inspecting her body. the sight of him invading a dead person's privacy didn't sit right with you, so you willed your legs to finally work and leave the room. 

you exit the apartment only to see the player that had cleared the game sitting down and leaning against the wall. he looked up at seeing the door open, eyes widening at the sight of you. 

you mustered up a small smile before sitting down next to him, "arisu was it? you okay?"

he nods before his face changed to an expression someone wore when they forgot something, "i should be asking you that, you were right there after all."

you waved him off, "i was just surprised. it's not my first game and..i know what she was going through."

he nodded, "this is my second game. i actually got here yesterday with my friends karube and chouta."

you gave him a curious glance, surprised at the mention of him only getting here just yesterday, "oh, are they here at the game right now?"

he shook his head, "only karube. chouta has an injured leg. we actually came to this game so we could find a doctor."

you remembered the pair's conversation from earlier, "if you need a doctor i could help."

his face brightened at this, "really?"

you gave him a nervous laugh, "well, it's more so my boyfriend but i can try to convince him to help."

"that guy from earlier?" he asked. 

"yup." you replied. 

his face contorted to confusion, "i didn't realize relationships were still a thing here."

you just shrugged, "we were together before coming here and it was hard at first but, we got through it. and im glad he's by my side."

speaking of the devil, chishiya finally comes out of the room, glancing around before seeing you on the floor with arisu. you smile to let him know you feel a little bit better than before, but he didn't return it, instead looking at arisu for a beat longer until returning back to you. 

"you ready to go?" he asked. 

you get up, glancing at arisu before settling your gaze back to chishiya, "yeah but, they're looking for a doctor, if you could-"

"we have stuff to do back home." he cut you off. 

although a little baffled at his interruption you pressed on, "i'm sure it can wait-"

"i said no." his face hardened, voice demanding as he stared at you. 

you frowned at his answer, "then let me go, i know the basics-"

suddenly his eyes changed, and for some reason they looked so cold and angry, telling you that you were pushing it by trying to leave. 

you stared back, wanting to do this one thing. but then chishiya was gripping your sleeve and dragging you away, out of earshot from arisu. 

you tugged back, "what the hell?"

"do you not remember anything i said about helping other players out?" he said, eyebrows furrowed in irritation. 

"you helped them clear the game." you replied, not understanding his unwillingness to help. it had nothing to do with games, so why was this applying now?

you heard him sigh, "that's different. i was doing it for us, not them."

"his friend is injured chishiya." you pressed on. 

"then if they're smart they'll leave him behind." he was quick to reply, like the thought itself wasn't something that should be considered carefully. like it was that easy to let a friend die.

your anger grew at his words, "and what if that was me huh? would you leave me behind?"

more irritation, "that's different-"

"it's not! it's the exact same thing." you cut him off. 

"and what if he's lying?" he asked. 

"i would know if he was lying chishiya, you're talking to someone who can figure a person out with one interaction. he's being genuine." you told him, praying that you would get through to him. 

once more he sighed, "i just don't want anything to happen to you while i'm not there."

"then come with me!" you said, reaching forward and gripping the sleeve of his hoodie. 

chishiya remained silent for a moment, and just when you thought he would finally agree he reached forward and brushed his fingers against your cheek, "we have to go back. there's some things that i need to take care of tonight. you understand don't you?"

you knew he was lying. you could tell just by the way he said it. not only that, but it wouldn't take long for him to at least bandage it up. but despite knowing, you were weak to this man, and his words, and everything about him. and the more you stared at him, the more the pools of brown trapped you in. 

you sighed, averting your eyes and hating the words that came out of your mouth, "okay. okay i'll..i'll tell him we can't."

chishiya smiled, fingers gliding down your cheek and sending chills down your spine, "good girl."

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not chishiya using his manipulation skills to cope with his jealously 💀. but ah this was fun, we’re finally getting to the original story line. anyways if you guys want more chishiya content check out my tumblr and you can leave requests for one shots and stuff.
> 
> @ssoftlydreaming


	10. ⌈ 9 ⌋

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the amount of times i almost dropped this entire book because of this fucking chapter nfjdjaba anyways enjoy even if it sucks 😭

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you could feel the hated you felt for yourself burning like a flame inside of you. 

as a child, it was because of the neglect from your parents, always more preoccupied on your sister than their eldest child. back then you didn't even blame them, you always thought that maybe there was something wrong with you for them to treat you the way that they did. and so you hated yourself because of it, wondering what you were doing so wrong for them to continue the abuse of their words. maybe you weren't smart enough, or responsible enough, or maybe there was just something about you that was beyond repair. 

and it was because of this that every little decision made in your life was never for yourself. it was always for the sake of others, taking into consideration their feelings and what would make them the most pleased. you thought that maybe, if you could make people happy, that could prove to your parents that you weren't just good for nothing, and that people could like you regardless of your intelligence. 

so hearing chishiya's request to turn down arisu, even though it made you heart feel heavy with guilt, you listened. you obliged not because of yourself but for him. and even though it was wrong, you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. maybe he wasn't lying. maybe he really did have things he needed to do, important even. but even though you told yourself that, the rational part of your brain continued to whisper the truth. 

that it was all lies. 

your guilt grew as you explained to the brunette the situation and still he had been kind enough to thank you and tell you not to worry about it. that they'd figure something out. but you could see the disappointment that flashed behind his eyes, and how his voice wobbled when he told you they'd find someone else.

you had been the only chance for his friend to get better, and yet you still had the audacity to leave him behind, sitting alone next to the empty apartment.

before you left however, you found the card as a token for clearing the game. the piece of paper stared back at you mockingly while in your hands, like this was really worth all the lives lost during the games. they weren't even good for anything, and the cards from each game you played were slowly piling up in your collection. still, despite knowing that, you shoved it into your pocket, wanting so desperately to believe it really wasn't all for nothing. 

you found chishiya by the stairs in front of the apartment lobby, standing alone and waiting for you to join him. you heart began to ache at the sight, mainly because you felt bad for being upset with him. in the time of your relationship you always hated the moments the two of you had disagreements, and this time was no different. you let loose a soft breath of air, hoping to get rid of the feeling in your chest while giving one last look at the L shaped complex, praying that arisu would be okay before you finally walked up to him, chishiya giving you a short nod before walking down the steps. the both of you began the walk back to the beach, silent and no words exchanged between you two. you didn't feel like talking, your mind too preoccupied on arisu and the guilt continuing to churn in your stomach. you wanted to go back, maybe even leave chishiya without saying anything. but you didn't, and you hated yourself even more because of that. 

"you're upset." chishiya stated, giving you a glance. 

you would be lying if you said you weren't. even though you somewhat knew why chishiya wasn't willing to help, you still felt that you owed arisu something for clearing the game while all you did was sit back and watch. it didn't feel right, and not just because of the game, but because he seemed like a genuine person, and you thought that you'd always be willing to help other people. 

what about the borderlands had changed that about you?

"i am." you replied back. silence enveloped you once more and you wondered what chishiya thinking. if you were being honest with yourself he probably didn't feel an ounce of regret, but you didn't want that to be true no matter how likely it was. 

"i don't understand you." you heard him speak again, and you glanced over to see that  
he was already looking at you, brown eyes boring into your own. 

"what do you mean?" you asked, because you didn't understand. what about you did chishiya not get? you thought you were pretty easy to read for the blonde. didn't he already have you all figured out? 

"how you can care so much about a person you don't even know." he answered, and the thought made you sad. how this man truly didn't understand when it came to the lives of others. to chishiya, only he mattered.

you looked away, eyes downcast as you continued walking, "i just...want to help people, especially when i have the ability to."

"thats stupid." he replied, and the harsh words made you angry. 

you glared at the blonde, not liking the way he was acting, "it's called not being heartless."

"it's called putting yourself in a place that you don't want to be in." he said, eyes also boring into yours with a harsh look. you stared back, jaw tensed and so so angry at him. but you didn't have the energy to fight back right now. 

you broke the eye contact, walking a little bit faster so you wouldn't have to look at him, "let's just get back. i'm tired and want to sleep." you mumbled. 

chishiya didn't say anything, he didn't even move to catch up with you. either he didn't care, or he wanted to give you space.

you didn't feel like trying to find out.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

finally you were back at the hotel you took refuge in, eyes drowsy and chest heavy as you walked through the familiar archway and made your way through the lobby. it was quiet, seeming like your game had ended earlier than the others so not many people were gathered there. wordlessly you and chishiya made your way through the halls to your room, the door quickly coming into view. the only thing was, someone unexpected was standing in front of it.

you recognized the woman, the same one who had tended to your wound your first day at the beach and was also the one who had taken you to hatter's meetings. ann was her name, and she was tapping her foot as if waiting for something, eyes glancing around the hall searching for it. you gave chishiya a glance, seeing he also was trying to figure out what an executive member was doing in this part of the beach.

finally her eyes settled to you two, and it seemed like you were the thing she was looking for as her face changed to that of relief, "i see you two are still alive."

you mustered up a smile, "just like always. what brings you here?"

"the game. what was it?" she got straight to the point, not wasting any time on greetings and such.

you blinked in surprise, "oh? five of spades."

she gave a quick nod in understanding, "alright, follow me." she began walking past you, and once more you and chishiya shared a glance with each other. you with a questioning look while chishiya just shrugged, saying that he didn't know either before taking a step forward to join her in whatever it was that she wanted. ann turned around however, shaking her head at the blonde, "not you, just the girl."

your confusion grew even more. if you and chishiya had played the game together why weren't the both of you being summoned? wasn't this about ranks? unless, this wasn't what the interaction was really about, "i'm sorry, can i ask why?"

"with this game you're now promoted to the executive board." she explained, and your eyes widened at her words. so you had been right, but only you had been promoted?

you gave her a slow nod, "i see. but, why do you need me now?"

she sighed, pushing her weight onto one leg as she crossed her arms over her chest, "there's an important meeting right now. it's imperative that you show up."

you gave chishiya another glance. really you didn't want to, one because you were tired and just wanted to sleep and needed to talk things out with him and two because if it was an executive board meeting, you knew who else would be present. and you really didn't feel like seeing him.

you gave her an apologetic smile, "i'm sorry but-"

"if you don't go then we can easily replace you for someone who will." she cut you off.

the words were harsh, but you knew she meant well. she was just doing her job, and it made sense. those who don't go to executive meetings would be pointless as an executive after all. and even though you really didn't want to, these meetings were for the higher ups, meaning information not shared with the other members of the beach would be discussed there. if you went, maybe you could find out more about this strange world and get that much closer to getting you and chishiya out of here. 

you let loose a small sigh, giving her another nod and small smile, "okay, i'll go. just give me a second."

she nodded, watching as you and chishiya went inside your room. as soon as the door clicked closed you could feel his eyes on you, questioning your actions. 

"what are you doing?" he asked. 

"trying to find information. is that okay with you or should i say no to this too?" you knew you were being petty, being mad wasn't going to change anything. but you couldn't help the feeling in your chest that didn't seem to leave. 

chishiya watched you but didn't say anything, and you just stared back. eyes searching for what you weren't sure, but you felt as if you were trying to prove something with your unwavering gaze. finally he looked away, letting out a small air of frustration and brushing past you to the bed. you didn't turn around, you feared if you did you would start crying out of frustration upon seeing him. 

"i'm sorry. we'll talk more when i get back." you mumbled, hoping he could hear your words of promise before exiting the room. 

ann was still there, and you gave her a nod to let her know that you were ready. at least, as ready as you could be. she gave one back and you followed her through the hotel, not really paying attention to your surroundings. you were just so upset, and you didn't know what to do with the feeling. not only that but the fact that you knew what was coming made your stomach churn with fear. 

it was too soon to see him again.

"we're here." ann broke the silence, and you looked up to find yourself in front of the same doors that you came to when you had first increased your ranks. 

hesitantly and with as much mental strength as you could muster you followed ann as she opened the door, and you quickly glanced around the room to survey who were the higher ups of the beach. there was of course hatter, sitting at the head of the table with aguni sitting to his right, engaging in a conversation and your eyes widened at seeing the large cut above and below his eye. he must've gotten it during the tag game, but from what you didn't know. maybe it would also explain why the second tagger had gone missing. 

your eyes shifted to the other people sitting at the table, a woman with long black hair and wearing a black two piece. alluring brown eyes saw you staring and she gave you a smile along with a small wave. it sent chills down your spine, and something was telling you that although sweet, there was something else hidden behind that grin.

the other person across from her was a man, wearing glasses on his face. he seemed like the uptight type of person, definitely the complete opposite of that woman. eyes shifting again and the sight surprised you, another man but with tattoos engraved into his skin and a katana right next to his chair. he also seemed like bad news, and based on the way no one really gave him a second glance to his weapon, he was definitely a militant. 

and then you saw him, those familiar piercings and those cold brown eyes. you felt like you couldn't breath, hands shaking as you stayed rooted to your spot. he saw you, having the audacity to smirk and give you a small wave. you forced yourself to look away. 

"the meeting is starting soon. take a seat next to mira." ann spoke, and you gave her a nod before sitting down beside the woman dressed in black. once more she gave you a smile, and you mustered up one in return even if you felt like crying out in anger and despair. 

ann took a seat beside you, and all at once the small talk in the room died down, leaving silence as everyone's attention went to the man in charge. 

he pushed himself up from his chair, his booming voice echoing throughout the room, "thank you all for coming! now, before we get started, i want to give it up for our newest member of the executive board!" he gave a big smile, hands spread out for show. you could feel everyone's eyes on you and not liking the sudden attention you quickly thanked hatter for letting you be here. he continued on however with the praises, "you've been doing exceptionally well in heart games as well! and you just cleared a spades game tonight! very impressive!"

you gave a nervous smile, hands clasped together to stop the shaking, "ah, well you know..."

"you're a hearts player?" mira asked, and you gave her a small nod in response. her smile widened and she reached over and clasped her hands with yours, "me too! oh, i'm mira by the way, i hope we can be friends! it's so great to see someone else enjoy playing with people's hearts."

was this woman crazy? did she really view those horrid psychological games as fun? you softly shook your head, trying to explain that she was wrong in her assumption, "that's not-"

the man in charge was quick to cut you off, "glad you guys are making friends! but let's move on shall we?" you felt mira squeeze your hands once more before letting go, returning her attention back to hatter, you doing the same after getting over the shock, "executive board! i, hatter and king of the beach, have found the answer!"

whispers spread through the room at that, and your confusion grew at his announcement. what did he mean by answer? did he figure out who is behind all these games? or was it the answer to how to go back home? you noticed that mira looked surprised, but not in the way the others were, but before you could analyze more hatter spoke up once again.

"it took me a while, but it's so obvious!" he got up from his chair, turning around to head to the back of the room. and what you assumed to have been a wall was actually a sliding door and he pushed it back to reveal a large board.

every card of the deck was painted onto it, some with crosses over it as a form of elimination while others remained untouched. you quickly realized this was what you had seen briefly while in his room last time, and suddenly it all made sense why he had been so keen on keeping it a secret. 

he was lying. 

"the cards! in order to leave, we have to collect every single one of them!" he continued, turning back around to gauge everyone's reaction. you looked around too, and you noticed that some were happy, probably at the fact that it was indeed possible to leave. others however, didn't seem convinced, and their expressions remained blank, suspicious even. 

you were one of those people. none of this was making any sense. cautiously you raised your hand, hatter giving you a nod in acknowledgement and you asked the questions that had formed in your brain.

"sorry but, i just find this very hard to believe. how do you know all of this? from what?" you wanted a credible source, otherwise this really was just another ruse to get the people of the beach to continue to follow him. 

he seemed taken aback by your statement, giving a laugh laced with nervousness to play it off, "how do i know? like i said, it's the only possible answer to this crazy world! why else would they leave those cards behind if they amounted to nothing? they had to have wanted us to collect them all!"

although it would make sense, the words still didn't convince you, but you didn't feel like arguing any further. 

the man wearing glasses also raised his hand, clearing his throat once being called upon before speaking, "and the beach members, do we plan on telling them or are we keeping this under wraps?"

"we will announce it tomorrow night before the games!" hatter was quick to reply. 

it surprised you that he was willing to tell the other members here at the beach. with the answer now out in the open, wouldn't it make gathering cards and going to games all the more competitive? casualties were bound to happen at some point, whether it be cards getting stolen or them staying in people's custody after each game cleared. 

the man nodded, and it was quiet for a second before this time ann spoke up, "we don't have many cards left to collect, does this mean we are all almost able to leave?"

"that's another point i wanted to talk about. after collecting all the cards, all that will go to one person." he explained.

mira leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of her hands, "so what you're saying is, ultimately only one person can leave."

all around people began to talk, and in a rush hatter tried to quiet down the uneasiness of the room, "essentially yes! but don't worry! duplicates still show up in games so those cards will go to the next person!"

"and how do we determine who gets to leave before the others?" ann asked once more. 

hatter laughed, "isn't it obvious? me being number one will leave first! and it'll follow the number system we already have going on." 

this time you were the one to speak up, voicing your worries from before, "if you leave first, wouldn't that put the beach into disarray? who would be in charge and how do we know they won't freak out upon hearing only one person can leave?"

"the beach will be just fine without me! and like i said, this is going by the number system so our dear number two would be the new king!" he turned his attention towards the man wearing glasses, meaning he was the number two hatter talked so dearly about, "and as for the citizens freaking out well," he leaned forward, resting the palm of his hands on the table as he gave a charming smile, "you underestimate the charm of a host man."

"and the cards? do we already have a deck started?" ann spoke again, and her question made you wonder too.

hatter gave an enthusiastic nod, "after tomorrow's games we will do rounds of people's rooms and collect their cards."

chills went down your spine at the sound of a snort, and you looked over to see it had been niragi to make the noise, leaning back in his seat. hatter gave him a questioning glance, but the smile never left his face. 

niragi leaned forward, propping his chin onto the barrel of his gun, "give you our cards? why should we?"

hatter gave him a look that said his question had an obvious answer, "if you want the people of the beach to leave this has to be done."

"and why should i care about whether or not they get to leave?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as if the gesture would help him hear a plausible explanation to his question.

"niragi." everyone looked over at the sound of aguni's voice, stern and demanding and niragi scoffed before quieting down. it amazed you how aguni was able to control a person that likely never listened to anybody, and suddenly it made sense how the militants hadn't gained control of the beach long ago, and how niragi hasn't caused much casualties while on the premises. 

hatter laughed as to ease the tension that had been created just by those words alone, giving aguni a small pat on the shoulder, "as i was saying, rounds will be made. and right now, i want you all to give me your cards to add to the collection."

you watched as people reached into their pockets and pulled out their cards, hatter eagerly taking them and thanking each and every person. you hadn't moved, still trying to wrap your head around everything that was just discussed. 

so only one person could go per deck, and then the next number one would be the one to go. but still, it didn't feel right, nothing discussed in this room did. but then what was the real answer?

you looked up at the sound of your name, seeing hatter waiting expectantly, "your cards?"

"oh! well.." you trailed off. what should you say? do you give them the cards hidden in your pocket?

"do you not have them with you?" he asked.

something in your gut was telling you that the consequences of not giving up your cards would be something you definitely did not want to experience, especially with the way hatter was looking at you, something ill hidden behind the gaze.

you reached into your pocket, pulling out all four cards from the four games you had played so far. hatter's expression changed to that of pure delight, taking the small stack and staring at them with a gleam in his eyes. 

"wow! you really did clear a nine of hearts!" he exclaimed, like he still couldn't believe it. 

you just gave a forced smile and a shrug, feeling someone else's eyes on you. you turned to see mira, also wearing an amused expression on her face. 

"is this over yet?" niragi spoke up again, and hatter just laughed like his behavior was funny.

"yes yes! meeting is over! enjoy your night!" he shouted. 

the rustle of chairs being pushed back and small talk filled your ears. hurriedly you pushed yourself up, leaving the meeting room. a lot was discussed in that confined space for the higher ups, but as you walked down the halls towards your room you couldn't help but feel as if you left with more questions than answers. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

when you made it back to your room you were surprised to see the lights still on and chishiya sitting on the bed, eyes narrowed as he worked on whatever gadget he wanted to make this time. he looked up at seeing you enter, and you both just stared at each other before he looked back down. 

"how was the meeting." he asked. 

"it was..something." you stood next to your side of the bed, debating whether you should get in, "i thought you were sleeping."

"i was waiting for you." he replied, still not looking up from his actions. but you noticed the way his hands trembled, and how he wasn't even putting the screwdriver in right. 

"oh." you said, deciding that you'd sit near the edge of the bed. the mattress sinked down under your weight, and you glanced back at chishiya. 

he let out a sigh of frustration, dropping his tools and letting the gadget fall limp in the palm of his hands, "i don't like this."

"your weapon? i think it looks fine." you answered honestly. you knew that wasn't what he was talking about, but you still wanted to make him feel just a little bit better. 

he got up, putting down his things on the table along with your books and the rest of his weapons, "i meant you acting like this. it's frustrating."

you sighed, knowing that this conversation would come. you scooter further onto the bed, laying down on your back and facing the ceiling, "i'm sorry." you whispered, meaning every syllable that fell from your lips. 

you blinked up in surprise when suddenly chishiya shifted in bed, those pretty brown eyes glaring down at you as he hovered above your body, "stop that."

you tried your best not to get flustered because of the position, "stop what?" 

"apologizing." 

you shifted your eyes away, "sor-"

your eyes widened in surprise once more when chishiya's hand took place over your mouth, muffling the words you had tried to utter. once again he was glaring at you, but you knew the gaze wasn't intended to be mean. 

"what did i just say?" still you didn't say anything, and chishiya just sighed before continuing, "next time we see him we'll make it up to him. okay? so stop being all sad. i don't like it and it's annoying."

you gave him a nod, and finally he dropped his hand back to his side, rolling back over so he lay next to you on the bed. you couldn't help but smile at the thought, and at the fact that maybe chishiya did feel remorse. maybe not towards arisu but he at least he was thinking about your feelings now too, which was definitely a start. and slowly you could feel the heaviness of your chest being released. 

"so what happened at the meeting?" he asked, and you let out an exhausted sigh, remembering the things that had been discussed in that room. 

"nothing good. hatter...he said the cards are the answer to going back." you responded. chishiya remained silent, taking in the information you were giving him. you took another deep breath before continuing, "he said that if we collect them all, we can go back."

"but you don't believe him." chishiya said, and once again it amazed you how well he could read you.

you pushed yourself up, keeping your position by pouring your weight onto the palm of your hands as you looked at chishiya, "how could i? something just doesn't feel right."

he stared back, and you could tell that something was going on in that brain of his. finally he quirked his mouth up in a small smirk, "i say we play his little game."

you scrunched your eyebrows in confusion. chishiya was willing to just let go of all his work just like that? it wasn't like him, there had to be some other motive, "and collect the cards for him?"

"exactly." he sang. 

you stared at him before giving a small nod, once again resting on your back and sinking into the comfort of your bed. 

"there's something else isn't there?" you heard him speak beside you, the tone of voice so soft.

you turned your head towards him, seeing he had done the same. you smiled softly, liking that it was him, and only him, in your gaze, "just become an executive soon. it gets pretty lonely in there."

he nodded, and you reached forward to brush the strands of blonde away from his face. he fluttered his eyes close under the delicate touch of your fingers against his skin, so warm and gentle. even though it was just the two of you in that moment, you couldn't help but think about how only one person could go back, and how you so desperately wanted it to be the man right in front of you.

"we'll get out of here...okay?" you whispered, causing chishiya to open his eyes. 

he reached up and placed his hand over your own, pressing the smallest and lightest kiss against the palm of your hand, "yeah. we will."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯

it was a whole different view from atop of the balcony. you stood by towards the outer edge as hatter began explaining about the answer of the games, and how exactly they could go home. bored because you've already heard this conversation your eyes shifted between each of the players down there, eyes filled with hope at the news. but even through the faces you were only looking for one person. a male with dyed blonde hair and a white hoodie. finally your eyes settled on chishiya, found in the back of the room with kuina by his side. he noticed your staring, smiling and giving you a small wave and you returned it with one of your own. kuina looked at him curiously before directing her attention to you as well, face brightening and also giving you a wave in greeting. you laughed softly, returning the gesture just as eagerly as she had done.

your eyes shift back to hatter, smiling and the charm of his words making the players shout out in excitement, even when he explained that only one person would be able to go back per deck. he really wasn't lying about keeping things at bay, and how these people were blindly accepting their fates as soldiers for the cause. 

you didn't get it. why wouldn't there be an answer where everyone could return at once? was this the game masters sick way of killing more people in return for just a couple to actually prevail? you thought about chishiya, and how if this really were the case, if hatter wasn't lying, only one of you would be able to go back, and the other would have to remain here. 

your hands tightened. you couldn't imagine leaving chishiya behind here by himself. even if you knew he'd be alright, the thought of just leaving him like that made your heart ache. you eyes went back to hatter, continuing to smile down at the cheering citizens of the beach. 

you decided in that moment that you'd get chishiya out of here. even if that means lying to the king himself.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	11. ⌈ 10 ⌋

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a reminder that everyone deals with sexual trauma differently! in reader’s case, she is okay with physical contact she just doesn’t like being around niragi nor being in the same environment where it almost happened(hence the walking to and from venues). but even so, that doesn’t make her trauma any less than someone else’s! just want to clear that up incase someone asks why she still is affectionate towards chishiya :)

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . . 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

legs aching with every step and a heavy heart as you walked down the empty streets of tokyo, white card in your hand as a sign of victory. it was dark, but the stars and the moon lit the way enough for you to somewhat make out the roads and paths needed to take in order to make it back to the beach. 

you let loose a small sigh in exhaustion, reaching up and brushing the stray strands of hair out of your face. the game you had played was simple, quickly beatable, but it still didn't get rid of the anxiety you felt. not for yourself, but for chishiya and kuina, praying the entire time that they are gone from your sight that their games go by quickly and safely as well. you were starting to understand just a tiny bit how chishiya felt and how reluctant he was making new friends while in the borderlands.

it was dangerous, especially if those people you cared about were in the same games as you. you had experienced that personally after all and the constant worry and fear was an emotion you did not want to experience once more. and never did you ever even want to imagine being in those heart games you played so well with chishiya or kuina by your side. 

the more you trudged down the barren sidewalk masked in complete darkness, the more your eyes caught the faint light from a nearby building. curious, and since it was on your way, you quickened your step to see that it was indeed another game venue, flashing lights and all. and by the looks of it, the game that had been played had just ended, with the players who had won leaving through the front doors. some went towards the cars that you were sure were apart of the beach and others down the road just as you had been. 

surprise presented itself on your features upon seeing those familiar braids and dark blue bathing suit, kuina walking down the steps with her usual gum stick in her mouth. brown eyes glanced up and quickly spotted you, and her face brightened into a big smile before meeting you in front of the building.

she opened her arms and engulfed you into a warm hug, and you could feel the small laugh of relief leave your lips as you squeezed her back, "i'm so glad you're okay."

she released you, still flashing you that bright smile of hers, "of course! simple clubs game tonight, nothing major." she held up said card, proving that it really had been a simple game. you nodded, and her eyes glanced down at your own card, "what about you? what game did you get yourself into tonight?"

you flashed up your own card, the red coloring of the diamonds making her eyes widen in surprise, "3 of diamonds."

"i can't tell if that's lucky or unlucky." she muttered, reaching over and taking the card from your hand to examine it more thoroughly. 

you shrugged, "i'd say it's lucky. honestly it was pretty easy to beat."

kuina's lip turned up into a smile once more, handing you back the card, "i'd expect nothing less of someone who can handle someone like chishiya."

you laughed, knowing she was right. if there was anything you knew about the stubborn male over the months you've known him it was that he could be a lot, and mentally draining for the wrong people, "he can be a handful sometimes."

she nodded in agreement, turning back at the sound of the other players from the beach shouting her name. she gave them a shout in response, turning back towards you and pointing her thumb in their direction, "do you wanna catch a ride with us in the cars?"

you shook your head, "i'm okay. i'd prefer to walk anyways."

kuina gave you a strange look, "are you sure? it's really far."

you eyes glanced at the vehicle, engine turned on and car doors open ready to go. but you still couldn't do it, and once more you shook your head, "it makes me kinda claustrophobic." she continued to look at you weirdly, and you forced a laugh and a smile, "seriously, go back to the beach and let chishiya know i'll be there soon."

kuina eyed you, and you could tell she wasn't buying it in the slightest. finally she clicked her tongue, walking over to the passenger seat and leaning forward towards the window. you watched in confusion as she took out her gun stick, telling something to the driver before leaning back and watching the car drive off.

she walked back towards you, hands popping the gum stick back into her mouth, "i'm not letting you walk back alone."

"kuina you didn't have to-"

she cut you off, a big smile on her face to let you know that she didn't mind in the slightest, "i want to! now! straight back to the beach or do you wanna go on a little detour?"

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

kuina had an eye for things you could only dream about seeing.

as you were walking she pulled you aside to a small retail shop, filled with clothes and jewelry, anything individuals into fashion could imagine. excitedly, she pulled you along through the clothing racks, holding up items to your body and deciding between keeping it or putting it back in the pile. 

you smiled at seeing kuina enjoy herself. it made you wonder if she had a job similar to this back before she arrived to the borderlands, especially with the way she put things back neatly and folded clothes on the table perfectly. 

"you're really good at this." you commented as she held up a shirt and proceeded to fold it just as you had noted. 

"i used to work at a retail shop." kuina flashed you a smile, bringing out a small hat and placing it on top of your head.

you laughed in triumph at being right and she quickly joined in too, taking another hat and putting it atop of her own head. it fit a little weirdly considering her braids but somehow she was still able to pull it off. 

"what did you use to do before here?" she asked, taking the hat and putting it back onto the little rack it had been on.

"i was studying psychology so i could become a profiler." you answered. honestly with the amount of time spent here in the borderlands you were beginning to miss the lessons and the studying to begin training for the profession your dreamed of. you wanted to use your perception skills to catch the criminals, not to use in a world like this. 

her eyes widen in astonishment, "like a detective?"

you shrugged, sending her a small smile, "something like that." 

she nodded, "that explains a lot actually. what about chishiya?"

"asshole probably wants to keep it a secret." you laugh, kuina joining in. 

"come on! i tried asking him and he wouldn't tell me." she gave you a small pout, clasping her hands together to plead with you. 

you sighed, remembering the late shifts and the angry expression the blonde would hold every time he came home. you knew why he was trying to become a doctor, and the reasoning behind it was not a happy story, "chishiya..he's not really proud of the workforce he's getting himself into."

once more kuina's eyes widen, and she leans in and whispers softly, "it's not illegal is it?"

you laugh, finding it funny that that was the assumption to come into kuina's head, "no! no no it's just..it's a sensitive subject for him."

slowly she nodded in understanding, "oh. okay well let's go ahead and try these on." 

before you could protest she quickly led you towards the back where the changing rooms were, pushing you inside along with the pile of clothes before closing the door shut.

"kuina! i can't even wear any of this to the beach." you whined, hating that the beaches policy never allowed anyone but militants to wear regular clothes. it was stupid really, in the time there you hadn't even gotten in the pool despite wearing your two piece every second of the day. 

"so? it's just for fun." you heard her shout through the door. 

you rolled your eyes playfully even if she couldn't see before placing the pile of clothes onto the nearby chair, pulling on the outfit kuina was instructing you to piece together from the other side. 

"so how is it being an executive?" she asked. 

"it has its perks." you answered back. it was true executives were allowed into areas normal beach members weren't. which would come in handy when it came to a thought that has been running through your head. 

"any secrets?" you could hear the excitement laced in her voice, eagerly awaiting your answer. 

you laughed, but unfortunately for the both of you nothing had been discussed that wasn't also told to the other beach members, "not yet."

when you finished putting the outfit on you looked in the mirror, smiling softly to yourself. you quite liked it actually, and when you had revealed it to kuina she smiled and clapped excitedly, getting up from her chair to smooth down the edges of the fabric. 

"you look hot." kuina stated.

the both of you laughed, and you turned back around to try on some more of the outfits she had picked out.

eventually the small fashion show you had put on was over, and in the end you only ended up bringing a spare hoodie since nothing else would follow the clothing guidelines. kuina had left quickly to go get something, so you were waiting outside of the store for her to return.

it was a fun night, and you liked the small distraction of not having to worry about games or anything relating to the borderlands. it was just you and the new friend you had grown close to in your time in tokyo, and you were grateful that she had taken you here in the first place. 

you turned at the sound of her calling out your name, holding up two small things in the palm of her hand. you gave her a curious glance before she just grabbed your wrist and clipped something together. you held up your hand, smiling softly at the threaded bracelet around your wrist. it widened even more when she held up her own hand, showing a matching one as well. 

she quickly linked your arms together and began the walk back to the beach, a comfortable silence in the cool night. it was quickly broken however, making your heart quicken in anticipation. 

"so," kuina began, and you gave a small hum in response to let her know you were listening, "what's the real reason?"

you hated how quickly you understood what she was getting at. you quirked your mouth up into a small smile to hopefully reassure her worries, "it's nothing."

she gave you a sad smile, "i'm not buying it." 

you stared at her, her expression soft and not demanding an answer. instead, it was worried, like she genuinely wanted to make sure things were okay. you let loose a small sigh, unlinking your joined arms and instead folding them over your chest as you looked down at the ground. maybe, it would do you good to tell someone. maybe it would help get rid of the heavy feeling in your chest. and you trusted kuina. she was a good person, and you knew you could tell her things you wouldn't be able to tell other people, even if you have only known her for a short amount of time. 

"back then..me and niragi were put into a game together." you managed to get out, already feeling your stomach churn at the thought of remembering. 

kuina stopped, giving you a shocked look, "he didn't try to kill you did he?"

you stopped beside her, giving her a forced smile, "i'd probably rather that have been the case." she continued to stare at you, and you let loose another sigh, once more looking towards the ground. you weren't sure why, but for some reason you were ashamed to speak your next words, "no he..." you paused, forcing down the vile in your throat and fingernails digging into your skin to calm yourself, "he tried telling me that i needed to repay him. for saving his life back then."

cautiously you look back up to see kuina's face contort to that of realization, and anger began to make its way onto her face, "that fucking bastard-"

hurriedly your reached out to grab her hands, stopping her from taking another step, "you can't tell anyone!"

she looked at you strangely, like the request in itself was ridiculous. and in a way, it was. you knew that, "why? and what about chishiya? why hasn’t he done anything yet?"

"he doesn't know." you mumbled out, once more looking towards the ground. 

"why haven't you told him?" she asked, like she couldn't understand. 

"the militants have obvious power in the beach. if chishiya found out i have no doubts he will take..more violent measures. i don't want him to get hurt." you explained quietly. and now that kuina knew, you didn't want to see her get hurt either. 

"still-" 

"i know. i know it's just...not the right time." you looked back up, pleading with her with your eyes to not try anything for the time being. 

kuina sighed, but nodded in understanding. you felt relieved that she understood your reluctance to tell the male your situation. hands still clasped together she released them and brought them up to your face, squishing your cheeks together as you blinked at her in surprise. 

"you are so strong. don't even think for a second that what he did to you makes you any less of a person." she stated, voice firm to let you know that you needed to understand but still soft enough to reassure you. 

you felt the emotions swirling in your chest and crawling up your throat. her words, they made you feel at ease, and you were glad that kuina was the first one you told. you doubted anyone else could handle the situation better than her. 

you nodded, voice wobbly and tears pricking the corner of your eyes at the girl's kindness and understanding, "thank you."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

it irritated you how chishiya seemingly disappeared at times.

it was like one minute he was with you, the both of you just basking in each other's presence and such and the next he was no where to be seen. and when you had asked kuina if she had seen him around she had just shrugged in response, explaining that she hadn't seen the male in a while. 

you had wanted to discuss something with him regarding the cards, but when you had come back after running a quick errand for the executives he wasn't in his usual spot at the table. confused that he was somewhere else other than the room you decided to wander the halls in hopes of running into him, but the person that you did run into was not who you were expecting. 

eyes widen in surprise at seeing the executive after turning the corner, quickly stepping back as a response, "ah! mira." you let loose a nervous laugh, "i didn't see you there."

she smiled wide like she was happy to see you, brown eyes glancing over your figure, "no worries. what are you doing?"

"i'm looking for chishiya. have you seen him?" you asked, eyes shifting to look behind her. 

she shook her head, flashing an apologetic smile, "no i haven't."

"oh okay.” you tried your best to mask the disappointment. you had been hoping he would be around this area but it seems like you had been wrong. mira still hadn't said anything nor moved, and frankly the silence was getting uncomfortable. you moved to step around her, "well i'll get going then-"

"actually i wanted to talk to you about something," she interrupted, blocking your path and you gave her a curious glance. 

"oh? what is it?" what could the beaches only other hearts player want with you? was it about the games? you couldn't think of any other reason, it was why she had shown interest in you in the first place after all.

"you're doing really good in heart games! you've cleared at least two now right?" she asked. 

so you had been right. you gave the woman a hesitant nod, "yes that's correct."

she clapped her hands excitedly, "oh i wish i could've been there! that nine of hearts game must've been fun wasn't it? tell me (name)." she leaned forward, pink lips close to your face, "don't you feel a rush picking people apart to find out how they work?"

you did your best to mask the surprise of her hinting at your hobby. this woman was definitely dangerous. never before had you met someone who could figure you out as well as chishiya, and that was purely because you had allowed your guard to go down. but mira? she was on a whole other level with heart games, and reading people at that. 

you backed up, putting your hands up in protest, "ah, not really. although i guess i do get excited when i figure something out and i'm correct about it."

she titled her head in confusion, the smile never leaving her face, "hmm. say, when you're playing, is it fun playing with people's hearts?"

what was up with this woman? what exactly was fun about lying and torturing people just for your own benefit? "mira what are you-"

she waved you off, "oh never mind. don't think too much of it dear. you're lucky you're a natural at it. if you ever have questions feel free to come find me. hope you find your man."

before you could say anything else she was already walking past you, and you watched as her figure disappeared down the hall. 

what had just happened? if there was anything you got out of that interaction it was that you had been right about needing to be cautious of her. you had interacted with her only a couple of times and already she was quick to figure out that your success in heart games was no fluke. and based on that alone, she was also a master of deception. what of, you couldn't figure out quite yet, but something was telling you that mira was more than what she seemed. 

blinking out of your confusion you continued on your hunt to find the mysterious male, eventually spotting him on the rooftop when you had wandered outside. hurriedly you made your way up the steps, pushing the door open and smiling at seeing him still there, hands in his pockets and watching everything unfold below. 

you walked over towards him, sitting down next to him and brushing your hands against his. he turned to look at you as a result of the soft touch, giving you a small smile before returning his attention back to the poolside. 

"i was looking for you." you stated, reaching up and brushing his hair back from the wind. 

"were you now." he mused, still looking down at the muffled music from below and the sea of bodies dancing. 

you retracted your hand back to your side, still watching him, "it's about the cards."

at the sound of that he gave you a glance, realizing that you were being serious about this conversation. he nodded, turning his body to face yours.

you took a deep breath to calm the nerves of saying out-loud what you had been thinking about since the moment you heard about it in the executive meeting, "i think we should steal them."

he rose an eyebrow in surprise, a smile playing on his lips, "i thought you didn't believe what hatter was saying."

"i don't. but i also don't know the answer either. and having the cards will give us an advantage if he does turn out to be right." you said. 

he returned his attention back to the poolside, "i'm surprised."

you knew he was talking about your decision. normally you would be against something like this, and at first you were. but the more you stayed here and the more games you played, the more chishiya's actions and morales seemed to be true, "you're right in some aspects. in this world, you can't save everyone. but i'm going to do what i can to save the ones i care about. i'm going to get you out of here. kuina as well."

"and what about you?" he asked, hinting at the fact that as of right now only one person would be able to go back. 

if you were being honest you weren't sure what exactly you were going to do. all you knew was that you wanted them to go home. you could worry about yourself later, "i guess i'll just have to work extra hard."

he was silent, jaw tensed and you noticed the way his hands shifted within his pocket as if he was nervous, or thinking about something, "do you have a plan for this?"

you reached up and brushed your hair out of your face, letting loose a small sigh, "not yet. i think right now it'd be best to observe. if we take them now it could be detrimental. to us and the beach."

he hummed in response, agreeing with your words. he turned to face you once more, smirking while extending out his hand, "alright. i'm in."

you smiled, knowing that it was only natural that chishiya would join you in this scheme to take the cards. you took his hand and shook it, sealing the deal, "glad to have my partner in crime."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you both spent the next hour up there, talking and pointing out the little things as you watched below. eventually though the wind grew worse, and so you both decided it'd be best to head back to the room and hang out there instead. as you were walking up to the familiar number engraved into the wood you saw a note sticking to the door. confused, you gave chishiya a glance before grabbing the note, quickly scanning the words scribbled onto it.

you could feel chishiya right behind you, hair tickling your cheek, "what's it say?"

"it says..that there's a meeting." you stated, finding the situation weird. normally meetings happened during the early mornings, and right now it was late afternoon. so what could possibly be the reason for this? 

"didn't you have one the other day?" he asked, leaning back as you turned and gave him the note to look at himself. 

"i did." which meant that whatever it was must be important, otherwise it wouldn't be so soon. 

when chishiya handed the note back to you, you crumbled the piece of paper, stuffing it into your pocket and flashing him a smile, "i'm going to go check out what it's about. you let kuina know i want to talk to her about something okay?"

he nodded, and you gave him a small wave before retreating down the hall, trying to figure out the meaning behind this surprise meeting. 

could it be about the cards? just like you had mentioned during your first meeting? or maybe something having to do with supplies and resources. whatever it was, it couldn't be good, and the closer you got to the door the more your felt your anxiety grow.

you pushed open the door, seeing all the other members had gathered already. quickly you took your seat next to mira and ann, both seeming just as confused as you did. 

and hatter, no longer did he wear his smile. instead he looked stressed out, like whatever was weighing down on his shoulders had also weighed down his entire mental state. it must be because of what he planned on discussing this afternoon.

it didn't make sense to you. hatter, despite having the entire beach to take care of, never faltered under the stress. he always took it maturely, so seeing this side of the king, dejected and, if you could say it, angry, was making you rethink the way you thought of this man. 

you grew even more confused when he began laughing, the sound bitter and in disbelief like he couldn't even begin to fanthom whatever had happened.

you shared a glance with ann, who cleared her throat to begin speaking, "hatter-" 

he banged his fist on the desk, causing everyone in the room to quiet down instantly. you've never seen hatter mad, which made this all the more scarier.

"people..have been holding onto their cards." he held up a small stack for show, and you didn't miss the way crimson seemed to stain the paper. 

you hated that you been right about what this meeting was about. and it seemed like you weren’t the only one who had considered rebelling against the beach, even despite the words hatter had expressed that night.

ann's eyes widened, "are you saying-"

"we will add another rule to the beach." hatter interrupted, looking up to stare at each and every one of the members sitting at the table, "death to all traitors. that includes trying to leave, and not giving up your cards."

you felt fear strike your heart at those words. you didn't even want to imagine what had happened to the people who had attempted to keep their cards, nor did you want to think about what would happen if you, kuina and chishiya were caught doing the same, executive or not. 

"the militants will be in charge of taking care of those traitors. as an executive, i want you all to report to me in the event that someone even thinks about betraying me." hatter continued, slapping the cards down onto the table. 

the older man wearing glasses, who you had learned to be named kuzuryuu, spoke up, "and the cards? what measures will be taken to ensure they are safe?"

"i have a safe that the cards will reside. as for the code, it will be held in an envelope only to be opened by me and in front of everyone else. do i make myself clear?" you watched as everyone agreed, and hatter laughed once more, just as chilling as before, "meeting adjourned."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

"i'm guessing the meeting didn't go well." chishiya stated once you had entered the room, seeing your stressed out state. 

"nope." you flopped onto the bed, burying your face into the soft blanket and curling up close to the male's body. already you could feel yourself relaxing at feeling the warmth of his body pressed against your side. 

you could feel the hesitance of chishiya's fingers petting your head, and you look up at him. he was watching you, waiting expectantly for you to speak you were sure. you pushed yourself up, sitting right across from him with your knees bumping into each other. 

for the umpteenth time that day you ran your fingers through your strands, "it seems like people have already started holding onto cards."

chishiya's eyes widened in surprise, "that was quick."

"no kidding."

"and the consequences?" he asked. 

you remembered the splatters of crimson that had stained the paper. it took no genius to figure out what that meant, "i'm sure he killed them."

"and now your stressed out about it." he stated. 

you didn't answer. you knew he was positive in his statement and he didn't need confirmation from you to believe that it was true. instead you could feel him reach over and wrap his arms around your waist, causing you to squeak out in surprise in being pulled into his lap.

"what are you-"

"you’ll age quicker if you’re stressed all the time." chishiya brushed his fingers against your hair, pushing it back to tuck behind your ear. 

you could feel your cheeks grow warm, embarrassed in the position, but still glaring at the male nonetheless "hey-“

"i want to kiss you." his eyes stared into yours, and you could see no sign of hesitance in his words, meaning he wasn't lying about his statement. 

you could feel yourself smiling, already feeling the stress slowly dissipate as well as finding it funny and strange that chishiya was initiating the contact so suddenly, "where is this coming from?"

he narrowed his eyes at you, "are you saying you don't want to?"

you rolled your eyes playfully, "i didnt-"

"then we have an agreement."

before you could protest further chishiya had already slid his hand behind your neck, bringing you in closer to his lips. they ghost over each other, making you shudder and you could feel chishiya smile in amusement. his hands glided from your neck to your cheek, softly tracing the skin as he pressed more firmly against your body. you could feel the burning of your cheeks and you felt dizzy the more he kissed you, inhaling his fresh scent and how softly he caressed you. every touch lit your soul on fire, and you loved the rare moments where chishiya would get somewhat intimate like this. 

he leaned back, lips brushing over your jawline and you reached up to run your fingers through the strands of his hair, so soft under your touch. you loved playing with the wisps of blonde, and loved how they curled towards the end. and even if not his natural hair color, it still suit him nicely. once more you could feel his lips reach back towards your own and you titled your head to the side, sliding them together. 

faintly you heard the door open, and still in a daze you looked over to see kuina, eyes widened but a knowing smirk playing on her lips. when you realized the position you and chishiya were in you felt all the blood rush to your face, leaning back and ducking your head towards the fabric over the blonde's chest.

her smirk widened, body leaning against the doorframe, "don't let me interrupt you two. i can come back at another time."

still flustered you looked back up, shaking your head in protest, "no! sorry you can come in."

you shifted and scooted back, still close but not as intimate as before. you heard chishiya clear his throat as he ran his hands through his strands, sending you a quick smirk as kuina sat down at the small table, straddling the chair and facing the both of you. 

"alrighty, so what's this about?" she asked, resting her chin in the palm of her cheek. 

you sent chishiya a quick glare, knowing he found your embarrassment amusing before looking towards kuina, "you remember how hatter talked about the cards being the answer?"

she nodded in response, "like it was yesterday."

you took a deep breath just as you had when telling chishiya about your plan, "let's steal them."

her mouth went slack and she reached up to bring her gum stick out of her mouth, "you want to take the cards?"

"if that's the way to get you and chishiya back home then i'm willing to do it." you were willing to do what it takes to save the people you loved, even if that meant going against what you had initially believed. 

she looked down at her coping mechanism for smoking, rolling it in her hands as if thinking it over. you waited in anticipation for her answer. you weren't sure what you'd do if she declined. finally, she looked back up and gave you a firm nod, "okay, i'm in."

you smiled in relief, "really?"

"hell yeah!" she returned the expression, popping the gum stick back into her mouth and giving you a thumbs up. 

"it's official then." chishiya spoke, also smirking.

kuina leaned forward in her chair, this time rested her chin on the back of it, "do we have a plan?"

you shook your head, "i'm going to look into it more and we’ll figure out a plan when the time presents itself. although i'm not sure who should steal the cards."

kuina gave you a questioning look, "aren't you going to steal them?"

once more you shook your head, "i'd be the most suspicious since i'm the only executive board member. and as of right now only we know where the cards are hidden. me taking them would be a dead give away."

"that brings me to another thing." you looked over at chishiya, giving him a hum in response, "i have a feeling arisu will be showing up pretty soon."

arisu? what did he have to do with your discussion right now? "how do you know?"

he shrugged, "just a hunch."

you narrowed your eyes at him, "okay..and what about him?"

"i think we should include him in our plan."

it didn't make sense. chishiya was so persistent in leaving him before, but now he wanted to include him in a plan that was dangerous and would require trust? "why?"

"i said we'd make it up to him right?" he asked. 

"yeah but-"

"who is arisu?" kuina piped up, seemingly confused at the side conversation. 

"oh, we met him during our game together. i'm sure you'll like him kuina." you reassured her. you were sure with their kind nature the two would get along well. 

"so what do you think?" chishiya asked once more. once again you narrowed your eyes at him, trying to find some other motivation for his words but..you couldn't find anything. maybe you were just paranoid. but having arisu along with the plan would do some good, the male was smart after all and even then it wasn't set in stone that he would be coming to the beach at all, so there wasn’t any use in worrying about it right now. you’d think it more thoroughly when the male did show up. 

you smiled, giving chishiya a nod in agreement, "alright. the plan to steal the cards is in motion."

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also please check out @kokodzuken on wattpad they are great at writing and they let me pick their brain for some parts of the chapter :)


	12. ⌈ 11 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . . 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ! 

the more you sat through executive meetings, the more you realized just how cautious hatter was when it came to the beach. and with the recent incident, that caution was slowly seeping into the protection of the cards as well. 

your eyes watched intently as the small deck of cards, full of duplicates and the ones that would eventually go to hatter himself, were put into a safe, clicking close with a small beep. you were sure this was going into his room, too many executives had access to this room for it to be deemed safe even without knowing the passcode after all. you weren't sure if that made things easier or harder for you. 

once he had finished, hatter then proceeded to bring out a small slip of paper and a black envelope, scribbling on it with his pen. from your position at the table you couldn't see what was written, no one but the man himself could, but you were also sure it was the code for that very safe. he folded it, stuffing it into the envelope before dripping red wax as the seal, pressing down onto it with his ring. 

he slid the envelope to aguni, who with the same pen began signing his name. it was yet another precaution, so he knew that the envelope wasn't getting switched out with a fake. that put the idea of descreetly replacing the envelope with one of your own out of the question unless you were able to successfully forge every executives signature. you figured you may as well try, even if it would prove to be somewhat difficult. the only question was, where could you get a deck of cards to replace them? was there something about the cards that was different than the ones in stores and such? yet another question you didn't know the answer to. 

when it was finally passed to you, your eyes quickly scanned through the other signatures, trying your best to memorize them as you began writing your own, purposely taking longer as to fully remember every stroke and size. finally you put your pen down, sliding it to ann who sat beside you before watching her make her own signature, memorizing those lines as well all the way until the final executive.

"i want to thank you all for your cooperation." hatter held up the envelope, covered in everyone's names, "this is to only be opened by me in front of all of you, and when i eventually leave, kuzuryuu will do the same with the remaining cards."

you shifted in your seat as the conversation continued, playing with your fingertips. this wasn't good. even though you sat through this entire meeting you still have no idea what the code was, and you didn't have the time to try and guess. the only possible way you could really even attempt to take the cards is by breaking into hatter's room, but even through that you still don't know how much time you'd really get to take a thorough look through the living space. and then what would happen when you did find it? what would you put as the code? 

what the hell were you guys going to do?

you looked up at the sound of your name, seeing ann had stood up from her chair, "the meeting is over."

the woman was watching you, a worried expression evident on her face. one glance around the room and you realized she was right, that no one remained, not even hatter had bothered to stay behind. 

you mustered up a small smile, pushing yourself out of your chair and thanking her before heading towards the door. she followed closely behind, and you gave her a small wave in goodbye as she left down the hall. you waited with a beating heart for her figure to disappear around the corner before dropping your hand, swiftly turning around and going in the opposite direction. 

you didn't have much time left, so you had to be quick about this. quickly your eyes scan through the unfamiliar hallways, taking note of each door as you briefly opened them to check inside. the halls were empty, but that was expected since this area was only for the mechanics of the beach as well as the executives, one of the restricted areas of the hotel with important things no doubt. you could confirm that yourself each time you opened a door and a majority were supply rooms, filled with food and medical supplies.

after reaching a dead end you crouched down low, taking a piece of paper out of your back pocket and smoothing it out onto the ground while taking out a pen and using your mouth to take off the cap. quickly while it was still fresh in your mind you began to scribble across the mostly completed layout, adding the rooms you had just checked and adding labels as to not confuse the people who would be using this. and as a final touch, on the back you quickly put the signatures of the executives of the beach.

once finished you swiftly capped the pen and folded the paper, putting it all back into your pocket as you got up and began making your way back to your room. you were relieved that you had been able to finish it in time, as well as with no questions asked by unwanted players passing by. it was essential that you didn't get caught doing this. 

upon seeing your room come into sight you quickened your pace, opening the door and smiling upon seeing chishiya and kuina sitting at the small table. they were playing a small game of cards you and her had found while out the other day, and by the looks of it chishiya was winning. 

they both looked up upon hearing the door open, kuina smiling at you while chishiya gave you a small nod in greeting. you clicked the door close behind you, holding up the piece of paper you had scribbled on just minutes before.

kuina's eyes widen, dropping her deck of cards on the table, "you finished it?"

"yup." you strolled over, unfolding it and smoothing it down on said table, showing off the rough layout of the beach to your partners in crime.

chishiya also put down his deck of cards, leaning forward as brown eyes scanned the contents. after a moment he extended his hand, index finger tapping onto a small square, "what's this?"

you leaned forward as well, trying to see what the blonde was talking about and realizing it was actually the topic you wanted to discuss, "it's a security room." 

chishiya rose an eyebrow in surprise, leaning back in his seat, "have you been in there?"

you shook your head, "only briefly so i could write it down. but look, currently everyone in the executive board is out doing errands right now. we can go down there right now and fully check it out. it could be important to our plan."

chishiya smirked, "what are we waiting for then?"

that was how you three found yourselves down in the lower floors of the beach, where most of the mechanics hung out to work on car parts and the overall electricity of the functioning hotel. luckily though none seemed to be in sight, and upon opening the door you could see that not many knew this place existed due to the dust on the monitors and how abandoned the space seemed. still, you were quick to close the door behind you, just in case prying eyes found you. 

chishiya walked over towards the monitors, taking in all the footage that was being presented. you joined him by his side, quickly realizing something the more you analyzed the content on the screens. 

"is it.." kuina started, eyes narrowed towards the bottom left of the large screen. so she had realized it too. 

"it's showing everything in the beach. inside the rooms as well." you stated. the question was however, who was the one watching everyone from the monitors in the first place? no doubt it had to have been set up by someone, it couldn't have been turned on by just the power alone. this took some serious installing. 

chishiya leaned forward, eyes squinting at one of the many tiny boxes, "huh, it's our room." chishiya stated, nodding towards the small screen and sure enough you spotted the familiar abundance of books on the ground, as well as chishiya's stuff littered on the table. 

you felt an uneasy feeling churn in your stomach at the thought that someone had been watching you guys. not just because it was your privacy, but because of the things that go on in there. you were lucky that there was no audio, otherwise you would've been caught long ago.

"but who put them there in the first place?" kuina asked, also looking uneasy at the new piece of information.

you let loose a small sigh, pushing your hair away from your face, "i think i have an idea on who." 

chishiya gave you a glance, "do tell."

you settled your gaze on the blonde, "when you really think about it, isn't it obvious? hatter is the founder of the beach, and with all the players keeping their cards there's no doubt that he wanted to take extra precautions." how he was able to hide cameras in the first place you weren't sure, but no doubt it had something to do with the hotel having installed them before hand, the king just figuring out how to fix them himself. 

"then what do we do about the camera's in our rooms?" kuina asked, chewing nervously on her gum stick. 

"we'll disable them." chishiya simply stated. 

the girl still seemed unconvinced, "wouldn't he know?" 

"or we could have pre recorded footage and put it there instead." you piped up instead. you weren't sure if hatter had a way of knowing when cameras are turned off, so the safest bet would be to leave them there with empty footage to the point where he assumed you all aren't there in the first place. 

chishiya nodded in agreement, "good thinking." he took a seat in the chair in front of the computer, bringing his hands out of his pockets and beginning to work.

"do you even know how to do that?" kuina teased, watching as he brought up files of past footage. 

"i know enough." he replied, not giving her a single glance. 

kuina shared a look with you and you just shrugged, knowing chishiya would be capable of doing what he planned even if he had no idea what he was doing. you hoisted yourself up onto the table, bringing out the small map that you had drawn. 

"chishiya." you spoke, and he gave a hum in response, not looking away from the screen, "do any of those videos show hatter's room?"

the soft clicking of chishiya's fingers on the keyboard stilled for a second before starting up again, "no, his is the only one that doesn't show up."

kuina brought over her own chair, sitting down while also looking through with chishiya, "you can see all the executives, even aguni." her eyebrows furrowed, and she cringed while looking away, "even things meant not to be seen."

"this will be good for our plan though." chishiya said, and kuina gave him a curious glance. 

"how so?"

he leaned back, pushing the chair away from the desk, "with this we can confirm (name)'s map is correct, and that hatter's room is somewhere in this hallway." he reached forward and pointed to a small screen showing a long hallway, empty from people, "plus, when we do eventually take the cards, we can be in here and on the lookout."

"the only question is, who is going to steal them?" kuina asked, taking out her gum stick and rolling it around her fingers. 

it was silent, but she was right. even through knowing the location there still wasn't anyone that could do it. not if you wanted to not look suspicious to the others.

"how about arisu?" chishiya suggested through the silence. 

you gave him a weird look, wondering why he had brought the player up, "what? arisu isn't even here."

"but if he does show up, why don't we make him do it? he'd be apart of our plan after all." he pressed on. 

"and what if he gets caught? you know what they did to those people." the players who had only kept their cards, and now they were dead, and not by the hands of the game masters, but by what they had believed to be allies. you didn't want to know the repercussions of getting caught stealing the cards, not for yourself and definitely not for arisu either. 

"he won't get caught. i'll make sure of it."

you look away, still not entirely convinced. something just didn't feel right. what was chishiya's true motive? did he even have one? you really didn't want to be right, "i don't know."

this time kuina was the one to speak up, pushing herself up from her chair and putting a reassuring hand on your shoulder, "come on, we'll do our best to make sure nothing happens. right chishiya?"

he nodded, a smirk playing on his lips, "of course, you have my word."

you let loose a small sigh, fiddling with your fingers as you thought it over. realistically arisu would be the best choice, he wasn't an executive like you and you knew chishiya was only a couple games shy of being one himself, so he was also out of the picture, plus he was closely correlated with you as well as kuina. as far as the executives know, you and arisu weren't even friends. so if he were to get caught, no matter how much you prayed he wouldn't, they wouldn't think about associating it with you. 

you let out another small puff of air, giving the pair a small nod, "okay, but only if he does come and agrees to it. if he doesn't i'm stealing the cards myself." 

his smirk widened, "sounds like a plan."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

"what kind of game did you end up having?" you asked, head laying on chishiya's lap as you stared up into the ceiling with your book extended out away from your face. your three day visa had ended tonight, and you had just come back from the clubs game you were thrown into.

"diamonds." he replied, him of course tinkering with his tools.

you hummed in response, continuing to scan through the words on the pages. it was a little hard to focus, but at least you didn't have to worry about you and chishiya having been paired again, not since your spades game together, and for that you were grateful. 

you put your book down at the sound of a knock on your door, shouting out a come in. and just as you had expected, in came kuina, a large smile on her face. she hadn't had a game that night, so her happiness at seeing you both unharmed was understandable. not to mention she had been coming by quite often, never really leaving unless it was the night or if she, as she called it, 'wanted to give you both alone time'. 

"guess what! the pool is empty right now, you guys want to go for a swim?" her words came out rushed, fingers gripping the doorframe and jumping excitedly on her feet. 

"no." chishiya was quick to reply, and you laughed a little at how bothered he had looked by the question. as if going out to swim was like asking him to give up his most prized possession. 

you sit yourself up, placing your book down beside the blonde, "you sure no one is there?"

"positive!" she clasped her hands together, giving you a pleading look, "please? it's been so long since i've gone into the pool."

you laughed at her excitement, "okay okay." you turned towards chishiya, matching kuina's puppy dog eyes.

he gave you a glance, quickly looking away, "my answer is final."

"come on! you don't even have to get in." you pressed on. 

"it's cold out. and do you have any idea what goes on in that pool?" he asked. he was right about that, players were in there all day, and you doubt they actually cleaned it as often as they should. still, it really had been a while since you've swam yourself, and it would be a good thing to get your mind off of things from the night's previous hours and your anxiety about the cards. 

"please?" you asked once more. 

he glanced over at you, eyes wavering ever so slightly. you knew you had convinced him when he looked away, letting out a small sigh of irritation, "fine."

grinning, you climb out of bed and grab one of the towels from the closet, joining kuina at the doorway where she too had her things. together, all three of you went down the steps and through the doors of the lobby. and true to kuina's words the pool was empty, all players still in games or having gone to bed for the night.

you and kuina raced to the chairs, laughing as you both throw your towels on them before scrambling to undress. as you kick off your sandals you unzip your hoodie, shrugging it off of your shoulders and wiggling out of your shorts as well. kuina got done around the same time as you, and together you both joined hands, jumping into the pool.

cold water surrounded your body and you pushed yourself up to the surface, pushing your hair back as your shiver. chishiya was right, it really was cold, but it felt nice, reminding you that you were indeed still alive. 

kuina resurfaced beside you, bearing a toothy smile to which you gladly returned. you turned your head to the side to see chishiya sit down near the edge, bare feet in the water with his hands in his pockets as he watched you both. you swam near him, resting your head next to the empty space beside him.

"you sure you don't want to get in?" you asked, even though you knew the answer to that question. 

he glanced down at you, no doubt taking in your chattering teeth from the cold, "positive."

you hummed, "suit yourself." you pushed yourself away, floating on your back as your body quickly grew used to the cold temperature. 

before you had always avoided the poolside, too afraid of running into niragi as well as the other militants. not only that, but it was always so crowded, day and night, and you'd rather not be clad in only your bikini set in front of so many people. so being here, with just the two people you whole heartedly trust, it made your heart warm, enough to reach your entire body. 

you blinked in surprise at feeling a splash of water on your face, sitting upright to see kuina grinning at you. smiling back you threw the liquid to her as well, the both of you going back and forward with each other. 

"you both are ridiculous." you heard chishiya call out, wiping away some of the excess water that had also splashed onto his face. 

you shared a glance with kuina, and by the look in her eyes she was thinking the same thing as you. moving as quickly as you could you swam towards the blonde, giving him a sweet smile to which he gave you a curious glance in return. he quickly realized the mischievous glint behind your eyes however, eyes widening.

before he could get up you and kuina grabbed onto one of his legs, pulling as hard as you could.

"hey-" he tried to protest, but he was already under, hoodie and all. you felt bad for a moment, but upon seeing him resurface with an annoyed look on his face and wet blonde hair over his eyes you couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

you swam forward, slicking back his hair so he could see and gently wiping away the water from his eyes. he continued to glare at you, jaw tensed. 

"not funny." he muttered. 

"you should see your face right now." you ignored him, still holding onto his face as soft giggles fell from your lips. 

"i should drown you right now." 

"i'd like to see you try." 

he rose in eyebrow in question, as if you really were challenging him to do so. quickly realizing your mistake since, chishiya probably would attempt a murder right now, you slowly swam back and away from his reach. 

he rolled his eyes in annoyance, turning around before pushing himself out. he pulled at his wet hoodie, sighing in irritation at seeing it completely drenched before unzipping it and pulling it away from his body, trying to squeeze the water out. 

you stared as he did so, feeling kuina swim up behind you and rest her chin on your shoulder, "you're staring."

you felt your cheeks warm, quickly looking away from chishiya, "i'm allowed to stare."

the male ended up sitting near the chairs instead, far away as to not get caught by anymore water or by yours and kuina's ploys. you didn't blame him, you probably would've done it again if given the chance to see his expression once more.

after an hour of enjoying the emptiness of the pool eventually you and kuina decided to get out, the cool breeze making you shiver after leaving the what had grown to be warm water. hugging yourself you walked up to chishiya, hair still wet and dripping down your skin. upon seeing you approach him he got up, grabbing your towel and placing it on top of your head. you looked up at him in surprise as he silently began to dry your hair, softly and gently. 

"you'll get sick if you don't dry yourself properly." he muttered, pushing the towel back so it now rested around your shoulders and covered your torso. 

you smiled, looking back to see kuina had already dried herself and changed. she gave you both a quick goodnight before going into the hotel, no doubt off to her room to take a warm shower just like you had planned for yourself. 

you looked back when chishiya put a hand on top of your head, "oh and you're getting me a new hoodie."

you rolled your eyes, "oh come on, it'll be fine."

he stared at you for a second, before amusement made its way into his brown eyes, "i want yours then. for the time being."

you glared at him, "no way! i like that one."

"would you rather me throw out all your books then?" he threatened.

you narrowed you eyes at the blonde, "you wouldn't."

"really?" once more he held that expression that was just asking for you to challenge him. 

"okay! okay okay." grumbling you thrust your hoodie towards chishiya, him smirking as he tugged it on. well, you figured it was fair. he didn't have a towel after all, and the last thing you wanted was for him to get a cold just as he had warned you. 

turning around but still grumbling, you took a step forward only to pause when you felt a weight on your shoulders, looking up to see chishiya with his arms wrapped around you and his chin resting on top of your head. he didn't say anything, just beginning to walk forward forcing you to do the same. you quickly looked back down, cheeks growing warm as you walked back to your room, liking how warm he was the entire way there.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

never before did you worry for chishiya in this moment. 

it was the first time where his visa expired before yours, and you had to watch as he left in the cars from the beach, praying the entire time that he would come back safe and sound. you knew he wouldn't die, chishiya was too smart for that, but you always worried that he'd hurt himself, and you'd rather not have to experience that sort of pain anytime soon in the borderlands. 

kuina also had to leave for a game, so you were by yourself in your room, trying to read as well as get rid of the anxiety of your friend and lover. you weren't sure how many times you changed positions before groaning in frustration, putting your book down over your face and stretching your arms across the bed. you weren't even sure why you were bothering trying to distract yourself when it was clearly not working. 

you closed your book and rolled over, putting it beside your table before grabbing the same stuffed cat from your first day at the borderlands. more often than not you found yourself cuddling with it, a nice substitute for chishiya during lonely nights of him working or days like these, where you arrived earlier than him or had no games to play. it smelled just like him too, and you hugged it to your chest before curling up into a small ball, warm blankets over your body as your mind somehow fell asleep. maybe it was just thinking about him that put your mind at ease. 

you didn't dream, but you did wake up to the soft touch of chishiya's fingers petting your hair, gently massaging your scalp. you could feel yourself smiling as you turned around, sure enough seeing the blonde sitting in bed right beside you. he retracted his fingers, and although confused at his sudden retreat in affection he held up his wrist, showing off the locker key secured around it.

your eyes widened at seeing the single digit number, quickly forming a smile, "look at you, an executive. took you long enough." you teased.

"i'll probably surpass you soon." he teased back, signature smirk stretching his lips. 

you rolled your eyes playfully, "as if."

chishiya's eyes glanced down at the plush still held tightly in your grasp, once more widening his smirk, "did you miss me or something?"

you shook your head in protest, "nope, not one bit." 

he let loose a small sigh, shifting away from your body, "then i guess you'll be sleeping alone tonight."

quickly you grasped onto his sleeve, laughing, "come on chishiya i was just kidding."

he hummed in response, laying back on the bed. instantly you curled up towards his side, wrapping your arms around his torso and burying your face in his neck. you could feel his arm hug you close, fingers drumming softly against your side and slowly lulling you to sleep. it helped eased your mind that he was here, very real and very warm, enough to finally put you to sleep. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you weren't really that much of an early bird.

it was hard to get up, especially after late nights of reading or long games played the night before. today was no different, with you refusing to open your eyes. and the bright light from the window that chishiya had opened was already painful enough. 

"you'll miss breakfast if you keep this up." you heard him speak, clear irritation laced in his tone. 

you groan, burying yourself further into the covers, "just five more minutes."

you heard him sigh in irritation, and just when you thought he had given up you felt a pillow smack you on the head, causing you sit up from the contact.

you glared at him, to which he just kept a blank face, but there was no doubt about the hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. grumbling at being woken you forced yourself out of bed, brushing past him to the front door. seriously, you knew chishiya wasn't one to sleep for long periods of time but why did he have to wake you up so damn early?

"so the princess is finally out of bed." you heard kuina joke, sitting down with you and chishiya near the staircase with her tray of food. you just grumbled once more as a response, still feeling the fatigue in your mind and body even after having gone through the line to get food and walking towards your small spot where you usually ate.

"she'll get over it." chishiya replied, taking another bite out of his nutrient bar, one of the few things left that was still edible. 

"maybe if someone wasn't so damn loud i would be in a better mood." you muttered. kuina laughed at this, also very aware of how noisy chishiya's tinkering could get. 

chishiya didn't say anything, instead pinching the skin on your arm to shut you up. once more your glared at him before returning back to your food, scooting just the slightest bit closer to kuina as a means to spite him. he noticed the movement but didn't say anything, but you didn't miss the way he discreetly glared at you in return. 

your silent bickering died down however when you saw ann approach you three, facial expression seeming urgent. you gave her a curious glance, silently asking what was the means for her to show up so suddenly. usually executives had eaten by now, the only reason you and chishiya were even here was for kuina. was there another meeting? but once again, was it an emergency one like cards getting held onto? or was there something else?

"there's an emergency meeting." ann spoke, confirming one of your theories.

you shared a glance with kuina, who although wasn't an executive quite yet, also seemed worried, "is everything alright?"

"there have been reports of two players following the other members of the beach." she explained. 

your eyes widened at her words, "you don't mean-"

"we have them in custody. i'll see you in the conference room." she cut you off and with that she walked away, no doubt in a hurry to get some of the other executives as well. you watched her leave until directing your attention to chishiya, who seemed unbothered by her announcement.

you pushed yourself up, waiting for the blonde to join you however he remained seated, continuing to eat away at his breakfast, "aren't you coming?"

"i think i'll skip out on this one." he replied. 

you rolled your eyes at him. only an executive for a couple days and he was already skipping out on meetings. leave it to chishiya to be that type of person. 

"you guys don't wait for me, i'll meet you back in the room." you told them. you weren't sure how long this would last and you didn't want to keep them waiting. 

kuina nodded, waving goodbye as chishiya just gave you a nod in response. quickly you hurried down the hall, trying to rack your brain for answers. people have been stalking the beach? how did they figure out about it? what were they going to do to them as a result?

you pushed the doors open, glancing around the meeting room to see mira and kuzuryuu standing in the front of the room. ann was no where to be found, nor was hatter, so instead you directed your attention to the two individuals strapped to two chairs, one clearly female and the other a male. and by the looks of it, they were awake. but you couldn't see their faces, masked by a bag over them. 

you closed the door shut behind you before meeting up with mira, giving her an uneasy smile while trying to figure out who could possibly be under those masks and how they found the beach. had they always been this way when it came to new members? you thought that this 'utopia' was meant for everybody, so why did they tie them up like they did something wrong?

your questions were quickly answered however as two militants reached over and took of their masks, revealing two individuals you did not expect to see so soon.

you stood frozen at the sight of the girl who had clearly been a climber before she got here from your tag game, as well as arisu, just as chishiya had said.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	13. ⌈ 12 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you weren't sure how to describe the fear you felt strike your entire being. all you knew was that your heart wouldn't calm down and that your nails were digging into your skin, stomach churning in worry for the two individuals sitting right in front of you.

the only thing that reassured you about the sight of arisu here was that at first glance he seemed to be alive and well, similarly with the girl right beside him. you recognized her, the climber who you had also taken an interest in back during your game together. but his appearance at the beach also made your heart drop, because this meant that he really was your best bet at stealing the cards, and you hated having to put him in such a dangerous situation when really you had done nothing for him at all. would he even agree? or would he remember how you hadn't helped him in a time of need and refuse?

the minute the hood had left the pair's heads they looked wildly around the room, trying to figure out what exactly had happened and where they were. the male's attention quickly found it's way towards you, the girl doing the same. he blinked in surprise before recognition featured on his face, and you didn't miss the way he seemed to relax at the sight of you. as if you were going to make whatever this place was to him that much better. 

you didn't know how to break it to him that this was not the place he wanted to be as of right now. 

"good morning!" mira chirped from beside you, causing them both to look at the woman instead. 

"i'm sorry that we were so rough." kuzuryuu spoke up as well, folding his arms across his chest, "we heard that there were some people sneaking around the place."

so they really were the ones who had been lurking around the beach. but for how long? and why? you glanced behind you to see that ann had arrived, the clicking of her heels making its way towards your side. 

"why are you here." she asked, more as a demand for an answer than waiting to see if they'd respond. 

once more you directed your attention to arisu, also wondering what he was doing here and how he had befriended this girl. not only that, but what had happened to his friends? as far as you knew only these two were the ones caught around the beach. either his friends hadn't been caught and managed to get away or something much worse had happened to his companions. 

"we were told that we'll know the answer if we come here. what this game is about, and where all the people who disappeared went." arisu answered, all words spoken being honest. 

you felt bad really. he had come all this way but not even the beach had those answers. at least, they only knew how to get back home. as far as why you were here and why everyone else hadn't come along with you guys was something still unknown. the disappearance of tokyo really was a mystery that had yet to be solved. 

you gave a quick glance at ann, nodding your head to let her know that everything said was true. that they had no ill intentions by coming here. she nodded in understanding back, shifting her attention back to arisu. 

it was quiet, and you were sure the other executives were trying to come up with something to say in response to his reason. do you tell him that you really didn't know the answer, or lie to his face just as they had done to the other members of the beach?

the loud thud of the door opening snapped you out of your thoughts, and arisu and the girl both looked back at the sound. not surprisingly came in hatter, dressed in the same robe as before and his sunglasses resting on his face. 

"exactly." he spoke aloud, walking behind them with an arm extended out, "we have the answers to the questions you both have." so he really was going with lying. the door clicked shut behind him, and the man in charge leaned forward and rested both palms on both of their chairs, face close to arisu as if trying to size him up, "welcome." he turned to the girl as well, her eyes downcast and refusing to look at him, "to the beach, the utopia."

you as well as the other executives shifted uncomfortably as hatter laughed, removing his hands from their chairs and leaning back. once again his extended an arm towards the front of the room, right at the wall behind you all. 

"this..is the answer." he snapped his fingers, crossing his arms over his chest as the two individuals behind him rushed to where you stood. 

you listened as they pushed the sliding doors over, eyes noticing the way arisu and the climber had shared a glance with each other at the sound of hatter announcing he had the answer. they must've been waiting for this for a while now, and their eyes widened at the sight of the large board of cards that were revealed, even more crossed out than the first time you had seen it. 

hatter walked towards the front of the room, attention towards the 'answer' of the borderlands, "i'll tell you the truth. there's only one way to end this hellish nightmare. we clear the games and collect all the playing cards."

arisu seemed surprised at this, leaning forward ever so slightly, "all the playing cards?"

the climber spoke up this time, eyes hopeful at the new piece of information as arisu turned to watch her speak, "so if we gather all of them, will the original world return?" 

arisu looked back at hatter to hear his answer, and once again you felt your heart drop. you really wished it was that easy. then maybe things would be different here. alas, that wasn't the case, and you waited to hear how he would break the news to them. 

hatter slowly turned around, "the original world will not return. only one person can return to the original world." 

you were surprised at how bluntly he had stated the truth, or at least what was believed to be the truth. you could see their expression shift to confusion, as if they couldn't truly believe that this was the case. you couldn't blame them, even you were having a hard time believing the things that left hatter's mouth. 

"only one person?" arisu asked, still in disbelief. 

hatter turned back around, "it's impossible for a single person to clear all the games and gather all 52 playing cards. you can't leave this country by working alone. that's why everyone unites as one. in order to let that one person leave the country. this is the beache's objective." he directed his attention back to arisu, walking towards the pair, "i've heard that the two of you possess good cards. i'll have both of you play your part and help us gather all remaining cards."

you looked at hatter confused. wasn't he going to at least asked if they wanted to stay in the first place? it didn't seem fair to just force them into a system and take cards that they worked for. was hatter really that desperate to leave this place?

"and if we refuse?" arisu asked, giving a quick glance at the man who had situated himself to sit on a nearby table. 

hatter put his hands up, a smile on his face, "you can't reject me." he turned around and grabbed a piece of paper, holding it up for them to see. you noticed the circles scribbled onto there and the crosses over them. clearly arisu had been keeping track of the amount of days he had left, "your visa is expiring today." he dropped his hand back onto the table, confirming that today really was arisu's last day, "you have no choice but to participate in a game, don't you?"

it disgusted you that he was using arisu's expiring visa against him, something he couldn't control. none of you could. the brunette looked away from him, eyes settling on you. you tried to silently tell him to just agree with hatter, otherwise you weren't sure what else he'd try in order to get him to work for him. 

"we can return if we gather all the cards." the girl spoke aloud, trying to confirm that what she heard was correct. she turned towards hatter, "is that really true?"

hatter pushed himself up from the table, walking slowly across the room, "i can't reveal everything yet. but i have a credible source for that information. before both of you entered this world, we already thoroughly investigated everything about this country."

credible source? this was the first time you were hearing of this. you had thought that hatter had come up with the idea himself because of the cards being left behind. was this apart of another lie to convince arisu to stay?

"you've been referring to this place as a 'country'." arisu spoke up, and you too wondered about the man's use of vocabulary to refer to this strange world. was it because you had visa's in order to stay alive?

you question was confirmed with hatter's next words, "the fact that we've been issued visas means that this is a country. the people in tokyo didn't just disappear. it's hypothesized that we've entered another country accidentally."

in theory it made sense. but it still didn't explain how exactly you all arrived here. the last time you had been in the normal world was when you were watching fireworks with chishiya, but you both had just been sitting there the entire time. then the next thing you knew everyone was gone. how the hell do you accidentally enter another world?

"if that's true, then there must be a way to return." hatter finished. 

"and we created an organization here." mira spoke up, a large smile stretched across her face. 

"fuels are used to generate electricity, and rainwater is used for water supply." ann continued, pushing her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. 

"going to games are organized as well. we have cars and everyone is split into balanced groups based on specialties for any type of game." you added on. 

"we have even secured firearms around the country. however, only a selected few are allowed to use them." hatter also spoke up, referring to the militants of the beach and how they were the only ones allowed to even touch the guns they had found. 

"our objective is to unite and collect all the playing cards." kuzuryuu spoke up as well, tying all things said together. 

"and," hatter began, holding one finger up, "there are only three rules to this utopian beach. rule number one. you must always wear swimsuits at the beach." 

arisu looked confused, not quite understanding the reason for the first rule, "what?"

hatter scoffed, as if the answer was obvious, "you can't hide firearms in a swimsuit. safe isn't it?" he gestured towards ann's attire before walking towards the window, "you're free to drink, take drugs, or even have sex! feel free to enjoy your life to the fullest. we damaged all the door locks with super glue. no one is allowed to hide anything. 

you remembered briefly your first day here noticing that when kuina had warned you about someone around your room, and how when you had moved to close your door it never fully locked. you figured all the doors were like that, and here hatter was confirming your theories. you'd have to be careful from now on to make sure when discussing plans that no one overheard or entered during the wrong times.

hatter leaned forward on the table, "rule number two. all playing cards belong to the beach. we will take away all the cards the two of you posses. those who have contributed more cards will be promoted to a higher number. after everyone works together to get the first person out the country, if we gather enough duplicated cards, we will soon be able to have a second or even the third person to leave the country. the day will come when everyone at the beach will be able to leave!"

"and when will that be?" arisu asked. no one answered, not even hatter knew the answer to that and when he had realized that fact, he continued, "what if..i reject your offer?"

hatter slowly turned around, and suddenly you were scared for arisu, because you knew what would be said. the most recent addition to hatter's system, "rule number 3 of the beach. this is the last rule. death to the traitors. everyone in the beach vowed to produce the first departure from this country at the cost of our lives. it's our mission, our duty! those who show contempt for that will never be forgiven by the beach."

arisu and the girl glance around the room, and based on their expressions they knew that hatter was indeed not joking. you, as well as the rest of the executives knew that for a fact. 

arisu looks down, almost ashamed, "usagi. i'm sorry. i dragged you into this."

"don't apologize. i wasn't dragged into this. this is a path that i chose." she was quick to answer and reassure arisu's guilt. you heart began to ache for the two. 

hatter began whistling, walking away from everyone. he then began laughing, as if this situation was amusing to him. and suddenly you understood why. because of arisu's apology, he was basically agreeing to hatter's terms. and there was no doubt about the card he held up in his hand as a product of the brunette's agreement. 

"it's the seven of hearts! luck is on our side! now we're another step closer to departure! thank you! we will consider promoting both of you to a higher rank number." he extended both his arms out, showing off the utopia that he had created, "well then, please enjoy your stay at the beach!"

with that hatter put his arms down, giving one last laugh before grabbing the cards from the table and leaving the room, the two that had entered with him following closely behind. mira and kuzuryuu left together as well, leaving just you, ann, arisu and what was now revealed as usagi alone in the room. 

ann cleared her throat, turning her attention towards you, "get them situated. games will be starting tonight at the same time. make sure they are ready by then."

you give her a small nod in understanding, watching as she too left the room. when the door clicked shut you quickly went towards arisu, crouching down behind his chair and working on untying his hands. 

"what are you even doing here?" you muttered, standing upright and moving onto releasing usagi as well. 

arisu rubbed his wrists, surely sore from the tight grip they had been in, "karube said that the answer was here."

you paused in your actions, giving a quick glance to the board of cards, "right, that." you resumed your previous actions, letting out a small sigh, "i'm sorry it's not what you were expecting."

"i can't believe it..only one person? for all playing cards?" usagi breathed out in disbelief, thanking you once you had successfully removed what had tied her down. 

you pushed yourself back up, walking towards the door, "for now, just follow what he says. as long as you keep to yourself you should be fine." you looked back and gave them a soft smile, to which they both returned.

you pushed open the door and waited until they both went through before following after them, clicking the door shut.

you quickly caught up to them so you were walking right beside arisu, hands clasped behind your back, "and your friends? karube and chota right?" you asked, filling the silence as you made your way towards the supply room filled with clothes. you really did wonder what had happened to the people he had arrived in the borderlands with. 

arisu's face shifted to that of regret, quickly looking away, "they didn't make it."

your heart hurt at his words and quickly you looked away from his face, not being able to handle the look of despair that had replaced his expression. even though you hadn't known them, you still felt the sadness of knowing that they were gone tug at your heart. and you were positive it had something to do with the fact that he had managed to obtain a 7 of hearts card, and you didn't want to imagine that had to have been done for him to be the one standing here alone, "i'm sorry."

"it's not your fault if that's what you're thinking. even if chota had gotten your help he wouldn't have made it through the game." arisu was quick to reassure you, and your heart warmed at his kindness. 

you nodded, deciding to change the subject since the air had gotten heavy. you cleared your throat, forcing a smile on your face as you turned towards the girl, "usagi right? i remember you from our tag game. you were really good at climbing."

she nodded, her own expression of despair being replaced by a smile as well, "me and my dad went climbing in the mountains a lot."

you ears perked up at this, "that's really cool!" it explained why she was able to do it so effortlessly during your spades game. you glanced between the two, wanting to ask another question that had been in your mind since you first saw them, "how did you guys end up together?"

they shared a glance with each other, quickly looking away with red dusting their cheeks. arisu scratched at his neck nervously, "we're not.."

you eyes widened at this, trying to save them the embarrassment of your question, "oh! sorry, i guess i meant you weren't really friends when i had first met you, and last i remember you both went your separate ways after the game."

"i just helped him out is all. he did save me during that tag game." usagi answered, red still prominent on her features. 

arisu cleared his throat, deciding to change the subject, "what about you? what are you doing here at the beach?"

you hummed, opening the door to the supply room, "ah well, i've been here since i first arrived to this country. it was better before we knew the answer honestly. now it just feels..wrong."

you paused in front of the cabinet. now wasn't the time to overthink the things happening and get upset over it. you should just focus on getting arisu and usagi situated and through their games tonight. 

you cleared your throat, flashing them both a smile and holding out swim trunks and a shirt for arisu and a two piece with a sweater for usagi. they both thanked you and you quickly went towards the drawers with the locker keys and grabbing their ranking numbers, giving them a quick nod before leaving the room. they continued following you up the stairs, through the hallways and finally stopping in front of a door. 

you turn towards usagi, "this is your room, so you can get changed. oh, here." you reach into your pocket and bring out her locker key, placing it in the palm of her hand, "this is your rank. it'll increase the more games you play."

she nodded, turning towards arisu and you smiled, knowing that the way they were looking at it each other was hinting at something more than they'd ever admit.

"i'll see you down at the pool?" he asked, and she gave a quick nod before entering her room. 

arisu watched the door close, and you placed a hand on his shoulder to let him know that it was time to go. he followed you to his own room, just several doors down and once again you handed him his own locker key. 

"are you going to go down to the pool too?" he asked.

you shook your head, "i have some things to take care of before my own game tonight. but i'll see you guys around alright? you can come to me if you need anything."

"thank you." he began to look embarrassed, turning his head to look away from you, "uhm, please make sure nothing happens to usagi. it's my fault that she was forced into the beach in the first place, and i don't want anything to happen to her while i'm not around."

you smiled knowingly, giving him a small pat on the shoulder, "of course! i'll make sure she's safe."

with that arisu opened his room door and you waited until the door clicked shut to get rid of your smile. you let loose a small sigh, pushing your hair back and making your way to your own room. each step and you felt your heart grow heavier than the last. now that arisu really was here at the beach, you could no longer provide excuses to chishiya to stop him from having arisu steal the cards. he really was your best bet at leaving.

you took a deep breath before opening the door, seeing chishiya sitting at the table and once again tinkering with his gadgets. you noticed his ipod right beside him, his music faintly heard through his earbuds. you walked closer and saw that the weapon he was working on this time looked like a water gun, although some other type of liquid was being put at the replacement for the water. and by the faint smell of gasoline and the lighter taped right under the front of the gun, you had an idea on what it would be.

quietly you walked over to him, brushing your fingers over the top of his blonde dyed hair to let him know you had arrived before laying down on the bed, on your side and watching him work. he gave you a quick glance before popping one of his earbuds out of his ears, shifting his chair to face you before returning back to work and waiting for you to speak.

"you were right. arisu is now a member of the beach." you spoke, not at all surprised to see the amusement that made its way onto chishiya's features.

"really now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in question but still not looking at you. 

"you act as if you're surprised." you stated, to which he just shrugged in response. 

"i didn't think it'd happen so soon. it means our plan can happen as soon as possible now." he explained. 

you turned to look away, hating the reminder of having arisu in on the plan, "right."

"after the games tonight, we'll confront arisu about it." chishiya spoke up once more, giving you another quick glance. 

you let out a small breath, this time turning your entire body away from the blonde, "i'll let kuina know as soon as possible."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

the loud chants of the members of the beach filled your ears once you stepped into the lobby and received your group number. all around everyone was jumping in excitement and chanting the king's name as hatter appeared at the balcony, taking in the sight of everyone cheering for him. you were sure this was boosting his already large ego based on the proud smile that had made its way onto his face. quickly you joined chishiya towards the back of the room, the blonde leaning against the wall with his hood up and eyes watching not hatter but somewhere in the crowd. you followed his gaze and noticed that arisu and usagi were there, seemingly confused at what was happening. you were sure they were wondering how anyone could be excited to go play these death games. you yourself didn't even understand their willingness to fight as soldiers. 

with his hands hatter motioned for everyone to quiet down before speaking, "my comrades! the time has come again tonight. do not falter! this is a war against fear! everyone here has the courage to overcome their obstacles. everyone here is now one! we shall unite and gather all cards and return to the original world together! and..that day is upon us! let's go!"

everyone once more cheered, even more fired up from the small speech that he had provided. you hear chishiya scoff from  
beside you, also tired of the useless words that were being said. 

kuina walked up beside you, brown eyes also looking towards where you and chishiya were so intently set on. she popped her gum stick into her mouth, "what's the matter?

chishiya gave her a quick glance before going back to looking at the new members of the beach, "we were in the same game as them."

"the two of them?" she motioned towards arisu and usagi. 

chishiya nodded, a small smirk stretching his lips, "yes. i'm thinking we can even use the girl in our plan as well."

at this you gave chishiya a weird look. you had only agreed to letting arisu in on the plan, but usagi as well? was it really safe to let that many people know about it? and it was bad enough you were putting arisu in danger. was it okay to put usagi in that sort of position as well? you let out a small puff of air in frustration, hating how you couldn't read into his intentions. lately nothing he has said made sense to you. 

"so that's arisu?" kuina asked, this time looking at you. 

you gave the girl a nod in confirmation, "you have the same game as him kuina. you'll see what we mean."

she nods, placing a hand on your shoulder, "you have a game tonight too right?"

you gave the woman a small nod, holding up your piece of paper. 

"good luck with that," she turned towards the blonde, "wait for us chishiya." she flashed you both a smile before heading towards the cars, disappearing into the crowd and out of sight. 

you turned your attention away from khulna and towards chishiya when you felt him place a hand atop of your head, giving you a soft smile, "be careful."

you nodded before turning and leaving as well. a quick glance down at your slip of paper told you that your venue was located at the station, a little further than your other games but you could still manage to get there in time by walking. 

your brought your sweater closer to your body when it began to grow windy, quickening your pace once seeing the stairs descend towards the underground station. normally it was dark, but since it had become a game venue the lights were on, flickering and creating an ominous atmosphere every time they went out and turned back on again. 

you made it just in time, seeing that the other members of the beach apart if your group were already there and waiting for the game to start. quickly you went towards the table and received your phone, watching as it lit up and showed that there were currently 5 participants. there was only a couple minutes left until registration closed, so you decided that you'd take this time to figure out who exactly you were going up against. 

you turned at the sound of your name, shock written on your face at seeing mira make her way towards you with that chilling smile on her face. you weren't even aware that she had a game tonight as well, and of course it was your luck that she was paired with you. 

"i can't believe we get to play a game together! this will be exciting!" she let the words fall out in a rush, clasping her hands together excitedly. 

you forced down the vile in your throat, flashing her a smile, "exciting..right!"

she nodded, before her face shifted like she had just remembered something, "oh! i wanted to ask, those two members from our meeting this morning. you recognized them no?"

you gave her a nod, a little skeptical of her interest in them, "we had a game together."

"that explains a lot. are you guys close?" she continued to press on. you were sure she was trying to pry more out of you about the two mysterious members of the beach. you were also sure that she was wondering about the player that had cleared a hearts game, a really difficult one at that. 

you waved her off, "he just cleared the game. that's all." which wasn't a complete lie. he did help clear the game played, but you didn't want to give mira more information than she needed. besides, you still wanted the executives to believe that your relationship with them remained as strangers, otherwise it would be useless to include them in your plan. 

"i see." she paused at hearing a ding from the phone clasped in her hand, excitement dancing in her eyes once more, "looks like registration has closed."

you nodded, bringing out your own phone to read the words on the screen. 

ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ Ꭺ ᎢᎾᎢᎪᏞ ᎾF FᏆᏙᎬ ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪNᎢᏚ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. 

ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, 2 ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ. 

you felt your legs give out on you at the type of game, knees scraping the floor as you felt your heart drop to your stomach. the smile that you had worn quickly fell from your face, replaced with that of despair. this couldn't be real. surely you had read wrong. but no matter how many times your eyes scanned through the letters they remained the same, sealing your fate. 

because not only had you been paired with mira, a woman that was clearly better than you when it came to any type of game, you had been put into the worst possible situation. 

a hearts game with the queen herself.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	14. ⌈ 13 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . . 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

as you sat there on the concrete, hands shaking and heart beating out of your chest with a never ending ringing in your ears, you began to wonder. was this how you died? was this the end of your time here in the borderlands? what even happened to those who died here? did they eventually wake up from this nightmare or were they actually dead, heart no longer able to make any sounds?

and the people here, would you really never get to see them anymore? was that really the last time you'd ever get to see the blonde you grew such affection for and the girl you had called your friend? how would they react to your death? you hoped they wouldn't do anything stupid, especially chishiya. you couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him while you were gone. 

slowly you looked over at mira who had placed herself in front of you, crouching down with a smile on her face. like always it sent chills down your spine, reminding you that there was no way you could beat this woman. she had experience you could only dream of, calm and collected opposed to your current mental breakdown when the game hadn't even started. but even if you tried, there was no way you could beat her in a game she specialized in. not in the state you were in now. 

"what's wrong dear? you look like you've just seen a ghost. are you feeling sick?" she asked, voice sweet and filled with worry. but you knew it was just a facade. the tone of voice was only there to mask the amusement that was clearly etched onto her face at seeing you breakdown right in front of her. 

she enjoyed seeing you break apart.

it was laughable that she had still asked those questions despite knowing the answer. this was mira after all, she wouldn't be playing heart games if she wasn't able to read the situation. if anything her concern for you only made you struggle to compose yourself even more. 

suddenly her smile widened,"oh, i get it now. you're scared aren't you?" you didn't answer, not at all surprised that she had finally pointed your emotion out. hell, everyone in the train station with you could tell. it was just that obvious. she hummed, reaching over and petting your head softly, "that's understandable. but, let me tell you a secret. only because i think you have great potential, and i really like you." she leaned in closer, pink lips brushing against your ears as to not let anyone else know the words that would be uttered by her lips, "heart games are designed to mess with everyone's hearts. it's not about the player twisting others, but more so theirs as well. really it makes a fool out of everyone once they are completed."

you blinked in surprise at her explanation. what did she mean by making a fool out of everybody? of course they did, how could you forget the faces of the people you've lied to just to win your games? the look of utter betrayal and the screams of despair? you were the fool who went along with things, and they were the fools who believed you. 

mira reached her hand back down and pushed herself up, turning her attention towards the other players who had accompanied you, "let's start the game then shall we?"

you didn't want to move. what was the point anyway? but then you felt mira's hand on your shoulder, grasp gentle and reassuring despite her demeanor. 

"come on, it's no fun playing games when you aren't even going to try. don't you want to go back home? what happened to that desire to live back during your nine of hearts game?" she urged, once again gazing at you with those brown eyes, watching and analyzing your every move. 

you figured in a way she was right. were you really just going to give up that easily? anyone in your games could be better than you, mira was no different, and if you just went down without a fight then there would've been no point in the things you've done. to the people that you killed. 

the least you could do was make their deaths worthwhile, and not just for nothing. 

shakily you forced your legs to work, standing up and pushing the hair that had stuck to your skin because of the sweat that had formed back from your face. together you both walked towards the train, doors open and waiting for passengers to fill it. you figured that the game would be held in there, and so you waited as the first player entered. however, before anyone else could join them the doors closed, the only passenger banging on them and screaming at you all, muffled and scratching your ears. their pleas fell on deaf ears however as the train moved away, out of sight until another took its place.

everyone stared stunned at the next train, waiting for a new player to enter. this was unlike any venue that they had played no doubt. so far all your games had had everyone in the same place, but now they were being separated? what was happening? why did it only let one person in? the limit wasn't stated, so did this mean-

"looks like only one person is allowed per train." mira spoke your thoughts out loud, and you weren't sure if this rule of the game reassured you or frightened you even more.

everyone glanced at each other uneasily, wondering who would be the next to seal their fate. and not surprisingly mira volunteered, palm up and that smile on her face as she gave you a glance. 

quickly she stepped through the doors, turning around to face you once more, "remember what i told you dear! hope to see you soon!" she yelled, hand waving in a goodbye as the doors closed and the train steadily began moving until it too was out of sight.

the doors of another train opening filled your ears, and once again the other two participants glanced at each other wearily. should you go in now? there was no going back, so really you had no choice but to get in sooner or later. taking a deep breath you willed your legs to move forward, hands gripping the train's seats to steady yourself when the doors had closed shut behind you and it creaked in movement. you looked back just to see the blur of their figures disappear, and you forced yourself to sit down.

your body swayed as the train moved, mind a little more clearer now that you were alone. not surprisingly having mira in a whole other train made you feel more at ease. at least now you didn't have to worry about her while trying to get yourself out. you glanced around, seeing that it looked like any normal train with more compartments that were empty. were you getting transported to another location, or had the game already started? maybe you were supposed to look for something. quickly you glanced around, and spotted a gas mask and three tanks sitting on one of the seats. was this for your game? 

you glanced down when you heard your phone, reaching in and taking it out of your pocket. 

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ, ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ FᎾᏌᎡ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᎪᎡᎢᎷᎬNᎢᏚ. ᏆN ᎾNᎬ ᏆᏚ Ꭺ ᏞᎬᎢᎻᎪᏞ ᏢᎾᏆᏚᎾN ᏩᎪᏚ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᏚ ᎷᎪᏚK ᎻᎪᏚ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᏟYᏞᏆNᎠᎬᎡᏚ ᎾF ᎾXYᏩᎬN ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏞᎪᏚᎢ FᎾᎡ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ. ᎾNᏟᎬ ᏚᎬᎢ, ᎢᎻᎬY ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎬXᏢᎬNᎠ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎢᏆᎡᎬ ᎢᎪNK. ᎾNᏟᎬ YᎾᏌ ᎬNᎢᎬᎡ Ꭺ ᏟᎪᎡᎡᏆᎪᏩᎬ, ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᎾᎾᎡᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏞᎾᏟK FᎾᎡ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ. 

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN, ᏚᏌᏟᏟᎬᏚᏚFᏌᏞᏞY ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᎪᏞᏞ FᎾᏌᎡ ᏟᎪᎡᎡᏆᎪᏩᎬᏚ ᎢᎾ ᏩᎬᎢ ᎠᎡᎾᏢᏢᎬᎠ ᏴᎪᏟK ᎾFF ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎢᏆᎾN. 

you eyes glanced back over at the gas masks, suddenly understanding mira's words from before. this heart game, it was designed specifically to mess with your own heart, not other players. 

it wanted to know how willing you were to risk your life to survive.

you pressed your palm against your forehead, trying to soothe the pounding of your head and to think as clearly as possible. what compartment would most likely have the gas? what would mess with your heart the most? how would you be able to tell if there was gas or not? 

you got out of your seat and peeked through the glass door leading to the next compartment. but it looked normal, and from your viewpoint you couldn't tell if there was anything indicating that something dangerous was in the air. 

you stepped back. what were the other players doing right now? you were sure they were just as scared as you were, probably freaking out about the 75% chance they had at surviving.

you blinked in surprise. maybe that was it. you were positive that they'd put on their masks for the first cart, who in their right mind would risk their life right off the bat like that?

but that was exactly why you believed the first cart was safe. and if you were especially lucky, the second one would be too. 

you grabbed the mask and three capsules, but instead of putting them on you put them in your pocket. you prayed that you were right about this, and that your perceptive guessing of other people's actions and consequences wouldn't get you killed.

with shaking hands that you wished would steady you grabbed the handle of the compartment, taking a deep breath before sliding it open. you walked through and it clicked closed behind you, locked until the five minutes would be up. and you waited with a beating heart for what would happen. 

after a couple seconds you fell to your knees, hands clutching your chest as you laughed at the realization that you were still alive. if there had been something dangerous than you wouldn't be here right now, still breathing with no difficulties. you glanced around, another relieved laugh leaving your lips at also seeing the flowers tucked right behind one of the seats. they were blooming, beautiful colors of red, yellow and orange, meaning that the air really wasn't contaminated.

somehow, you had guessed right.

you pushed yourself up off the floor and sat in one of the seats, waiting for the rest of the five minutes to pass by. in that time you tried you best to calm your racing heart and your jumbled thoughts, still in shock that you really were going to get through this game unscathed. you glanced up and began rushing to put on your gas mask and clip in the capsule when the timer had beeped, pushing yourself out of your seat and walking to the end of the compartment. 

taking another deep breath you slid the door open, looking around for the flowers. to your surprise you had also been right, seeing that they continued to bloom just like the last. 

you got it now. the game, it really was twisting you mind. you were sure the others had realized the flowers too, and they thought that the game would make them believe that they'd be safe for the next. so they'd put on their mask for the second cart, as well as the third with the same thought process, meaning the last cart was the one to have the poisonous gas. 

it would make the most sense, thats what would mess with them the most. 

once again you pushed open the sliding doors after hearing the beep and clicking in your capsule into place, once again confirming your theory on this cart being safe as well. as you sat down in your seat your gaze settled towards the last door. no doubt that one was dangerous, and you were sure if the others had made it as far as you, they were realizing the truth now as well. 

you could hear the wheels turning and the handle bars sway as the train moved. you wondered what the other players would do. would they stay in the train, hoping for it to eventually stop or until starvation came, or would they throw themselves into the gas filled compartment regardless of its dangers. and if you forced the windows or doors open, what would kill you first? the laser or the impact of jumping off a moving train? 

surprisingly enough after going through that last compartment, sitting down just as you had done in the others with the pot of dying flowers right beside you, wilting brown and gray, your heart began to feel at ease, and your shoulders less heavy with worry. for some reason, you weren't afraid anymore. maybe because you had gone through this game unscathed, and when you had been dropped off as promised, with your phone dinging with a game clear and a congratulations you could feel the small smile make its way onto your face. 

mira stood waiting for you, a proud smile stretching her lips at seeing you alive. one glance and none of the other players were present, meaning they had guessed wrong or had refused to go into the last carriage, and would be stuck in the moving train forever. 

she clapped her hands excitedly, skipping towards your side, "oh! that was fun wasn't it? quite a thrill. did you listen to what i said? i'm sure you did, you are smart after all."

quickly you nodded, still trying to process the things that you had learned during the direction of the game you had just played. and as you walked with mira back to the beach, her insisting on giving you company, you began to realize things that had been so bluntly obvious from the beginning. 

for one, these heart games really were made to mess with everyone, not just one individual with another. whether it be a loophole in the game or simply a matter of the way you reacted, there was one simple fact about them. that if you looked passed the fear and the desire to live, no one had to die. 

you realized this just now, where your game was solo, as well as when you remembered the rules back in your second hearts game. if everyone had kept the same amount of points, no one had to die, the game had even said that specifically. and yet the fear of your teammates had overcomed that logic, and so you had been the only one to survive. 

you still weren't too sure about your mafia game, maybe you were still blindsided by the rules and the people you had killed to think about what you could've done differently, but the thought that in the furture, if you ever had to play another hearts game, you knew more than before, and maybe now you could play these games like how they were meant to be played. 

"you've grown." mira stated, giving you a quick glance.

you hummed, returning the smile, "i understand now."

she clasped her hands together, "oh i'm so glad! this will make future games so much more fun!"

surprising even yourself you nodded in agreement. never before did you think you'd ever agree with something mira has said, but something about clearing this game put your heart and mind at ease. it made the things in the borderlands less frightening, reassuring you that even the worst of games could have very few casualties. 

but then you remembered something, from long ago and you turned towards mira, "i have something i need to do. it's not too far away, can you go back to the beach?"

her smile widened before nodding, giving you a wave farewell to which you returned before heading in the direction you needed to go. your steps were quick as your brain remembered the twists and turns of the drive there when you had first gone. and when you had finally spotted the familiar building you quickened your pace to stand before the doors. 

it was dark, not lit up since the last time it had been used as a game venue, and you didn't go inside, fearing how it'd smell. but you did peer inside the glass doors, surprised to see that it was actually cleaner than how you had left it. 

you pressed a hand onto the glass, remembering that high school girl who had so painfully reminded you of your sister and the short talk you had exchanged with her during one of the intermissions. and very painfully, you remembered how she had died, and how you had covered her with the white sheet so you wouldn't have to look at her pale face, drained of the color of her cheeks and the soft smile she used to wear. the bodies you had left there were gone, so you couldn't bury her like you had wanted but you still stood there, whispering a small promise to the girl that had died.

"i know i said i'd protect you. and i failed. but for now on, in these games, i promise i'll save the ones who i can. and not worry about the ones i can't. i'll make sure to live just for you. my sister as well." you spoke aloud, hoping that maybe she could understand. that you truly hadn't wanted the fate that had fallen upon her. but you'd do your best to make up for it, and that was by living and escaping these borderlands, something she couldn't have done. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

your hands tighten around chishiya's body, holding on like you'd never seen him again. in a way that had been your thought process just an hour before, where you were sure that would've been the case. but now that you were here, still alive and breathing and having grown from the experience, you wanted to stay as close to him as humanly possible, even if he was protesting on how tightly you held on.

he let out a huff of air, uncomfortable with the weird stares that he was surely receiving from the people around you two. of the the girl who was holding on way too tightly to someone like a child. but despite knowing that you shouldn't be so selfish in your desire to be with him, you wanted to just remind yourself that he was here. and that you were still able to feel based on the butterflies in your stomach and the warmth on your cheeks. 

"alright that's enough." he grumbled, finally over the attention and prying you away from his body. you just laughed and smiled at him, as a small thank you for letting you cling in public for so long.

"sorry, i couldn't help myself." you smiled even wider at him, causing the blonde to raise an eyebrow in question. 

"you're in a good mood." he noted, to which you hummed in response. 

"i think i understand a little better." you begin to explain, opting to stand by his side. 

he looked over at you, still confused on your happy expression. normally after games you weren't in the mood to even talk, so he figured something good had to have happened during or afterwards for you to act like this, "about?"

"these games. it's weird, i started off as really scared, unsure, just doing whatever." you remembered your first game, where you had freaked out at the sight of seeing the detective catch on fire, and the one who had been pushed down the stairs, death on impact. 

"and?" 

"and now..i get it. i know how to play," you turned to look at him, flashing another smile, "it's kinda fun actually."

he smirked, a short laugh leaving his mouth, "you've lost it."

you rolled your eyes playfully, looking away from the male, "i don't mean the games themselves. i mean, figuring it out. like a puzzle. it was too difficult before because i was too focused on completing it. but now i'm actually thinking about each piece and how they fit together."

you blinked at feeling him place a hand on your head, that smile still on his face, "glad you're finally noticing it."

you hummed in response, glad that chishiya understood what you were getting at. you began glancing around the lobby, looking for a certain woman dressed in a blue bathing suit, "is kuina back yet?"

chishiya retracted his hand and put his hood up onto his head, hiding his face from the people in the lobby and only the blond strands two short to tuck behind his ear present. he seemed to be thinking for a moment before responding, "she's by the pool."

you ignored the small skip of your heart at hearing the place that she currently resides. no doubt there would be a lot of people there, lots of games have ended by now after all and the members liked to celebrate another night conquered. but even through that you wanted to make sure your friend had returned unscathed, "let's go say hi." 

the blonde gave you a curious glance, knowing that you normally avoided that part of the beach. and normally by now you'd be dragging him to your room, bound to read to get your mind off of things, "i thought you didn't like being there."

"it's just for a moment. we'll be quick yeah?"

chishiya stared at you almost like he was trying to make sure you truly were serious before nodding, and together you guys made your way through the crowd of those in the lobby before walking down the path towards where the pool was. your eyes glance around the area, very crowded like it was every night during this time. it took a while but eventually chishiya nudged your side, nodding towards a certain area. looking over at the direction you quickly spotted arisu and usagi, both having successfully made it through their games unharmed much to your relief, and kuina was right beside them, engaging in a conversation with the two. what about you weren't quite sure, but by the way arisu and usagi shared a glance with each other and their defensive nature against what kuina had said, you had a small feeling on what it was. 

their expressions turned grim however as well as yours when you looked over at hearing the sound of something fall over and a shout for it to stop, causing some of the people dancing to back away. you quickly realized what for exactly, no one could mistake the group of people walking across the pool with weapons and aguni in the front, leading them through. you felt a small weight on your head, looking up and seeing that chishiya had put your hood up so it was harder to see you face, and he had also placed himself just the tiniest bit closer to your body, almost like he didn't want them to know that either of you were here. 

your eyes went back to the militants, who had stopped in front of where arisu, usagi and kuina sat. your heart skipped a beat at seeing aguni stare at them, igniting your want to help. you were an executive after all, surely they would back off if they were afraid of you telling hatter. but niragi was there as well, and despite the slow healing you had gone through over the weeks since it had happened, you still couldn't find it in yourself to confront him. you had only just recently gotten over your fear of games after all, so it would still take a while for you to get over your fear of this man. 

"what happened to your pal?" aguni asked, probably referring to karube who had been there with arisu during his tag game. had they worked together then? were they the ones who had distracted the other tagger while the game was being cleared? arisu didn't answer his question however, which gave aguni the answer he needed, "i see. he died. what a shame. so only the small fish survived." 

"you know each other?" kuina asked, not aware of the game that they had played together. that's right, you forgot to mention that aguni had been there as well, the girl was only aware of usagi and arisu having been there with you and chishiya. 

arisu looked at her but once again didn't answer, and aguni's attention was directed to usagi. you felt fear strike your heart at seeing him nod towards niragi, "you, bring that woman over."

niragi smiled, giving a loud 'yes' before walking over to her. he reached down towards her sleeve, about to drag her out of her seat when arisu stood up, stopping him from doing so. you felt a little better knowing that arisu was able to do something to prevent whatever they wanted with usagi. 

"hey!" he yelled, causing kuina to give him a pleading look as a sign to cut it out. that by going against niragi he was basically asking for a death wish. who could go against someone with a gun after all? but this was arisu, he had to be smart enough not to go too far right?

she reached a hand out, "stop, don't get yourself involved."

niragi leaned back up, looking between arisu and usagi, "our boss says he wants to have a taste of you."

the male's words made you sick and unconsciously you felt yourself scoot closer to chishiya. usagi didn't deserve something like that. none of the woman that had surely been victims like yourself did. 

this time niragi had succeeded in grabbing her, but once again arisu stopped him from doing anything further, "leave her!"

niragi smirked, clearly amused by arisu's protectiveness over her. he gave a quick glance at aguni, eyeing down the brunette right in front of him, "what should we do about this kid?"

aguni didn't miss a beat with his answer, "break his legs so that he'll die in the next game."

at this you tugged on chishiya's sleeve. this was going too far. who knew what else would happen? how far things would escalate? you didn't know the limits of what the militants were willing to do to get what they wanted. and where were the other executives? why weren't they stopping them?

щну щёяёи'т уоц? dїdи'т уоц pяомї₴ё?

chishiya simply ignored you however, keeping his gaze set on the scene unfolding before him. and the small smile of amusement on his face made you sick to your stomach. you knew he wanted to see how arisu would handle the situation, to see how strong he was and how far he was willing to go to protect usagi. and you were sure he'd use her as leverage to make him agree to your plan to steal the cards. 

was that fair? what if the roles were reversed? what would chishiya do in that situation? 

niragi laughed at aguni's request, clearly loving the violence of what he'd get to do, "yes. you guys!" he nodded towards the militants in the back of the group, "bring the woman to him." he turned back towards the brunette and grabbed arisu's arm, "you come with me."

he began dragging arisu while the other militants came to grab usagi. but arisu, he really wouldn't go down without a fight. he really cared about this girl if he was willing to resist even with the threat of his legs being broken. he rushed forward towards her once more, stopping the militants that had tried to get to her. they stared each other down, arisu practically daring them to take another step forward. 

"is this a fight?" a booming voice spoke through the silence, and much to your relief emerged hatter from the crowd that had broken for him to walk through. 

"back off, hatter. this doesn't concern you." this time you couldn't tell who spoke, but hatter seemed to ignore them. 

"i can't do that," he turned to face the other members of the beach, putting one of his hands up, "as the number one, i am obligated to maintain order at the beach." he began walking forward, over towards where aguni stood, "could you let off the newcomers on my account, aguni?"

aguni just stared at him, not saying a word. you wondered, weren't they close? why didn't aguni just agree right away? 

it was silent for a moment longer before hatter turned towards the people that followed under him, "niragi."

niragi scoffed, turning away, "i only take orders from the boss."

hatter stared at him before looking away, walking towards aguni, "then let me ask your boss." he leaned in close to his face, the expression scaring even you, "who is your boss, aguni?" 

said man turned to look at him. they stared at each other, like a challenge to see who would falter first. who was clearly the one in charge. and much to everyone's surprise, aguni was the one to accept defeat. maybe because he knew something of hatter and his capabilities that no one else did. 

"it's you, right?." he spoke. 

hatter looked away, somehow offended by the whole ordeal, "go take a shower." he turned towards the rest of the members once aguni had walked away, "all executive members are to gather in the meeting room! arisu, you're coming too. i've heard about your potential from ann. follow me." 

he began walking away, following after the executives that had begun making their way towards the inside of the hotel. the air felt lighter now that they were gone, but there was no mistaking that everyone had been worried that today had been the night that the militants took control. 

"huh? i was really hoping for a fight." you heard chishiya speak beside you, brown eyes watching as the man in charge walked away. 

you ignored him, watching as arisu said something to usagi before leaving, said girl standing up and watching his retreating form. kuina stood up too, and that was when chishiya nudged you to follow him, stopping beside the girl. 

"so what do you think about him?" he asked, also watching him disappear inside the building. 

kuina gave him a quick glance before looking back, taking her gum stick out of her mouth, "i like him."

"how'd your game together go?" you asked, glancing over her body. she seemed to be alright, although her hair was wet. she must've had a water based game. 

kuina turned around to look at you, "he's smart i'll give him that."

you hummed in agreement, turning towards the girl who still hadn't stopped watching the doors despite arisu being long gone. you walk up to her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

"he'll be fine, right?" she turned to you, searching your eyes for an answer. you didn't blame her, it was hard to trust these people with someone you care about so easily. it would take a while before usagi could be at ease. 

you gave her a soft smile, "hatter wouldn't do anything to him. and i'll be there in the meeting to keep an eye on him. alright?"

she nodded, turning back with you to hear your name being called. it was chishiya, waiting to head to the meeting no doubt. 

you turned to her one last time, "your room is probably the safest place as far as staying away from the militants. you can head there while you wait for arisu."

once more she nodded, turning to leave. you watched her until knowing she was safely inside the building before meeting up with chishiya once more. 

"ready?" he asked, smirk displayed on his lips. 

you mustered up one of your own, giving a small nod, "as i'll ever be."

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	15. ⌈ 14 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ! 

time seemed to tick by slowly as you sat in your chair, waiting for the alleged meeting to commence. chishiya was right beside you, hands in his pockets and listening to his music while everyone else was busy doing their own things to preoccupy themselves until it was time. with many of the members playing cards in a game and chishiya not in the talking mood, you were left with your own thoughts. 

more importantly, with thinking about what had happened the past hour. 

you couldn't help but feel bothered by what had gone down between aguni and hatter. when you had seen the two interact your first time meeting them you had deemed them good friends, even before the borderlands, and yet something felt off. opposed to before things seemed tense between the two. you had noticed it mostly with aguni, who seemed stuck in his own thoughts lately, and you could also see the growing distance that had formed between the two, more prominent after their small fight at the pool. 

"we're starting the meeting!" hatter yelled out loud, bursting through the doors of the meeting room.

you snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice, seeing chishiya take out his earbuds and hide them in his pocket from beside you. those who weren't executive members gathered up the cards at the table and scrambled to leave to a different spot, resulting in you and chishiya getting up to take your spots at the main table where whatever hatter wanted to talk about would be discussed. 

ann sat on the other side of you like always with chishiya on the other, mira sure to sit right in front of you and kuzuryuu and niragi on both sides of her. hatter sat at the far end of the table, the head, while aguni was on the opposite end. you couldn't help but think that the distance was slowly growing, and right now they were making it painfully obvious. 

you glanced over at seeing arisu enter the room as well, brown eyes taking it all in and the members seated. his eyebrows furrowed upon seeing last boss, no doubt thinking about how strange he was with tattoos on his face and the katana he was leaning on. they shifted once more and settled on you and the blonde to your right, eyes brightening upon seeing you in the room as well, bearing no injuries from your game that night. you put up your hand in a small wave, sending the brunette a soft smile in greeting. chishiya did the same, and while arisu returned your smile with his own, he seemed surprised to see chishiya right beside you. 

"it's you." he stated in realization, and that was when you remembered that this was arisu's first time seeing the blonde since the tag game. he had skipped out on that meeting after all, and you both had been hidden in the crowd during the whole ordeal with the militants and executive members clashing. it was understandable that he was surprised to see him still around, and at the beach at that. 

"two of spades," mira's voice sounded through the silence, figure walking as she held a pile of cards in her grasp, "six of spades, four of diamonds, two of clubs. we collected all of them." she makes her way towards hatter before putting them down, "until now we haven't found any face cards." 

your eyes drifted to the board of cards towards the back, realizing that mira was right and that they remained blank, indicating that they had yet to show up in any games. she walks around to take her seat, sending you a small smile to which you returned before she picked up a small black book. 

hatter glanced down at the cards, picking them up and inspecting them, "if face cards do not exist, then we're only left with the 10 of hearts."

ah, the most difficult game yet. not only with a level ten difficulty, but with a type that not many are capable of beating. you remembered your own nine of hearts game after all, and the fact that it could get even harder than that meant it was not a game to be messed with. and not a game you'd want to play with the people you knew. 

you cleared your throat before speaking up, "the ten of hearts, it has never appeared in a game before. if it doesn't appear we can't clear it."

ann narrowed her eyes at the table, deep in thought, "maybe there needs to be a condition for it to appear. maybe it's not in tokyo."

she made a good point as far as 'conditions'. something told you that this game was special, it had to be if it has yet to appear thus far. you were sure whoever was behind these games was waiting for the perfect opportunity to make it into a game venue, just to make it hurt the members of the borderlands even more. 

kuzuryuu spoke up this time, going against ann's second statement as he rests his arms on the table, "a game arena has not been found outside of tokyo."

she looked up at him, eyes narrowed, "but we haven't investigated that far yet."

hatter interrupted ann before she could protest further, hand extended out after having been rested under his chin, "the strategy won't change. we will continue investigating the game arenas in town. make sure you have days left on your visas and keep and eye out for the ten of hearts. i need to replenish my visa soon."

even more curiously aguni began glancing at the others in the room, most likely intended for niragi and last boss. and although it was just a quick glance, it was almost like something was being spoken through the look. and chishiya who had remained quiet during the meeting nudged your foot from under the table, like he too had noticed or had heard something that caught his attention. you glanced at him curiously before realizing that hatter had just stated he needed to go to a game soon, meaning the opportunity to steal the cards was slowly arising. 

mira closed the book she had been looking through, eyes on you before looking away, "there's a way to earn visas for sure."

interested at the woman's words hatter leans forward, "is that so?"

she stared right at the man, and you noticed the small quirk of her mouth wanting to twitch up into a smile, "heart games let you toy with the hearts and feelings of others. if you bring along those who don't mind dying, you'll survive for sure." 

at this you cut in. even though you understood mira a little more after your game played together, and where she had helped you get over your initial fear, there were still some things apart of her ideals that you just couldn't agree with. and this one, this strategy, she couldn't possibly be trying to go through with that idea, "humans aren't just toys you can throw away during games. we aren't using people who don't want to live just to obtain a stupid card." because no matter how much they wanted to die, everyone is afraid of death, especially here in the borderlands. in the end there was the point in bundling them all up together. it was cruel, and inhuman to just think of them as objects to get yourself out. 

mira smiled at you, not at all phased by your words, "well, you are our best hearts player," she turned towards the brunette, smile widening, "arisu here also cleared a seven of hearts game. what do you two think we do instead?"

hatter turned to look at you and then towards arisu, hand extended out towards the brunette, "do you both have any advice for us?"

arisu's eyes widened at being called upon, seemingly uncomfortable with being put on the spot and with how hatter had begun laughing, like the predicament was funny. that whatever arisu had to say was just some joke to help with heart games that wouldn't be taken seriously. and when he turned towards you, you remained silent as well, shifting your eyes away from the man in charge. if they thought of this as a joke, you wouldn't help them. 

ann looked at hatter, seemingly conflicted, "but would a hearts game appear so conveniently? on top of that we won't know what type of game it is until registration closes.

kuzuryuu shifted in his seat, glancing down at his hands, "but we should be able to deduce it based on the probability theory."

you scoffed, as if the game masters would care about numbers and such, "i doubt the games follow any sort of probability method."

you jump at the sound of hatter slamming his hand down on the table, staring kuzuryuu right in the eyes, "i don't need such a method," he stands up, scooping up the cards at the same time and walking towards the board of cards, "i'll join the next game. be it hearts or spades. someone like me with a 100% winning rate will clear it easily! i'll join the games until the ten of hearts card appears! the day where we gather all the cards and depart from this country is near!" he turns around, hand extended out towards the ones beneath him in this makeshift hierarchy, "executives members, i'm counting on you guys to oversee things here. the meeting is adjourned!"

chair legs scraping against the wooden boards filled your ears as the executive members stood up to leave. you did so yourself, chishiya right beside you as together you both stopped by the door, the male close by your side.

"what do you think?" he asked quietly, brown eyes watching you and waiting for your input. 

you realized he was referring to before, when he had nudged your foot for attention, "there's no doubt about it now. something has happened between hatter and aguni. scenes like at the pool are likely to happen more often."

he hummed softly in agreement, eyes shifting away from yours, "what do you suggest we do?"

you thought for a moment. with hatter and aguni in this state, there was no preventing the fall of the system hatter had created here. it wouldn't be safe to stay, and if you still wanted to steal the cards, you'd have to do it soon, otherwise there'd be no leaving this utopia after the militants have taken control, "our plan will work best right around this time. tension will cause them to overlook these sort of things."

chishiya smirked, a sign of his agreement with your thought process, "it will work."

you smiled back before you turned at the sound of your voice being called, seeing that ann had been the one to call it. she walked over to you and tucked her hair behind her ear, looking down at the slip of paper in her hands. 

"there's some errands the executives need to do," she looked up at chishiya, "i heard you were good at engineering. i need you to help tatta down with the pipes. and you," brown eyes glanced away from him, "there are some supplies that must be taken down to the bar. have it all done by tonight."

she didn't wait for any objections from the two of you before turning around and walking towards the rest of the members, no doubt giving them assignments as well. you shared a glance with chishiya who just shrugged in response. 

he watched her leave, humming as he was surely thinking about having to go down in the basement, cold and musty, "that's no fun. i was hoping to have some free time tonight."

you rolled your eyes playfully at the male, knowing his idea of free time was still working on whatever he was interested in at the moment. if anything this was his break, "oh the busy life of an executive."

he turned towards you, smirk playing on his lips, "i'm not actually mad about it. i'm not even an engineer, and yet they chose me for this job."

"right, dr., you act as if this isn't boosting your ego." you knew chishiya was taking pride in being mistaken for that. the blonde liked being good at anything and everything after all. 

he shrugged, smile widening, "well i can't say it isn't. they must've recognized my tinkering skills."

you rolled your eyes once more, "narcissist."

"nerd." he retorted, poking you on the forehead. 

you swat his hand away, scoffing, "is that really the best insult you got?"

he reached his hand back down, disappearing in his pockets, "i'm afraid you'll cry and break up with me if i'm honest."

you put a finger on his chest, pushing him away and laughing, "shut up and go do your job. i'll meet you in the room."

he quirked his mouth up before turning to leave, hands pushing his hoodie up as he walked out the door. you watched him disappear before turning to ann, receiving the list of supplies you needed to drop off at the busiest spot at the beach. 

you let loose a small sigh, already getting uncomfortable upon having to go down there. it was going to be especially busy since games had ended, and you were already reluctant about leaving your room in the first place. and with the long list of items, you could already tell it was going to be a long night. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

although muffled, the loud pounding of music could be heard though the door, shaking your bones and the structures around. your arms felt heavy with the box of alcohol stuffed in it, struggling to keep the weight as you turned around and pushed the door open with your back. you struggled to keep the heavy wood open with your foot, hopping back until finally releasing it once fully through the door. and just as you had expected the music grew louder, and you tried your best to avoid the sea of bodies swaying to the beat and unconsciously bumping into you. more than once you found yourself almost stumbling and dropping the precious drinks. 

you huffed in exhaustion when you made it to the bar, dropping the box with a heavy thud onto the counter. the one in charge of drinks took a quick look into the container before smiling, giving you a thumbs up as a way of saying thanks. you returned it, going back around the counter to help with putting away the bottles. 

as the clinking of glass tickled your ears you glanced up in surprised at feeling a figure bump into you, causing you to stumble, desperately trying to catch the bottle that had loosened in your grasp. you sighed in relief when you had successfully caught it, looking over at the sound of rushed apologies from the individual. you quickly recognized the head of messy brown hair bowing to you repeatedly while hands reached out to help with the support of the liquid. 

you laughed at the male's antics, "you don't have to apologize arisu."

it seemed like he had only just now realized who he had bumped into, brown eyes widening but also a little relieved that he wasn't going to get in trouble for finding his way back here. 

"oh, uhm, still." he reached up and scratched his neck nervously, looking away in embarrassment.

you hummed and flashed him a smile before putting away the glass bottle, turning back around to face him once that had been completed, "what are you doing at the bar? i didn't think you were really one to hang out here."

"hatter dragged me over here.." he glanced around the area, as if looking for the man, "i kinda lost him though."

you laughed at this. you were sure hatter had already joined the others on the dance floor and had also forgotten about the poor boy. 

you nodded towards the display of alcohol, "do you want a drink?" 

he followed your indication, shaking his hands in front of him in protest, "oh! i don't really drink alcohol."

you hummed, figuring that this would be the boys answer. despite his kind nature he seemed like he wasn't good around people, making this scene he found himself in not a place he wanted to be, "not the partying type?"

brown eyes watched the bottles, almost remembering something, "well, i did drink. with my friends i mean. karube had his own bar and me and chouta would hang out there often."

you smiled at the memory he shared, "that sounds like fun."

this time arisu's smile was genuine, agreeing with your statement, "it was. we talked about going to australia one day."

"they seemed like great people. i wish i could've met them." which was true. you had only seen karube briefly during your tag game and had left before getting to meet him, and chouta..you didn't even get the chance to know the third friend of arisu's, left behind due to an injury and shibuki who had stayed behind as well. 

arisu laughed in agreement, "they would've liked you. well, chouta would, chouta likes everyone. but karube was really great once he warmed up to you." 

you noticed that arisu had grown sad, mouth quirking down into a small frown as his eyes showed a far away look, perhaps remembering that his friends were no longer here with him. you felt guilty having caused this, and quickly placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort, "i'm sorry again..that your friends aren't here anymore."

he nodded numbly, turning to look at you, "can i ask you something?"

you hummed, "go for it."

at your agreement he turned to look away, scratching at his neck, "you're a hearts player...did you ever lose someone close in a hearts game?"

brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, with soft smiles and a kind soul. you smiled upon remembering, "we weren't close but i cared about her."

"does it ever get easier?" he asked quietly, almost afraid of how'd you'd answer. 

you thought it over. the nightmares were terrible, but they'd gone away by now, and after visiting, you felt more at peace, "it took me a while but..eventually i came to terms with the fact that they weren't coming back. and so as a promise i told myself that i'd live just for them, and for the people that i cared about."

you could feel arisu stare at you, and when you turned to look at him he seemed surprised at your words. he even seemed to think them over before nodding, smiling softly at you, "i think i understand. after my hearts game, usagi was the one who found me. i had given up, but with her by my side...she's the reason i'm here today. i want her to go back no matter what."

you felt your heart warm at his words. that explained why he cared about usagi so much. he felt like he needed to repay her, and maybe over time that feeling had blossomed into something more, "that's really sweet." you thought about your own source of hope, heart fluttering at the thought of him, "chishiya...he may seem cold and distant but..i know that he cares to some extent. he was actually the reason why i continued on during my nine of hearts game."

not many people understood chishiya. in all honesty they misunderstood the male, thinking his actions and words were cruel. and although they could be, that wasn't the full story. his blunt honesty was what you grew to love about him, knowing you could count on him for input and such, and everything he did was for good reason, after many hours of thinking it over for the best possible solution. 

"nine of hearts.." arisu muttered to himself, brain still wrapping around the possibility that the person he was talking to had really survived that type of game. 

"it was a mafia game." you stated, knowing the male was probably wondering about the venue. 

"are you okay with talking about it?" he asked, of course being concerned. he could probably relate to the reluctance of reliving the moment, and you could appreciate the gesture. 

you smiled softly, "i don't mind."

he was silent before nodding. and once again he looked away, doing the nervous gesture he always did when embarrassed, "how many people.."

"only me and one other person. we were both mafia." gray hoodie and burning smoke, with red flames and blood splatters. your partner had done what needed to be done to survive, although you still wished he had chosen easier deaths. 

"oh.." arisu mumbled, surprised to hear that you had been apart of the team of murderers. he wasn't expecting to see this girl, who gave soft smiles and had been nothing but kind to him, apart of the group of people that killed to survive. 

but he should've expected this. in this world..no one was truly good. there would always be a dark desire swirling inside of everyone. but the individual got to choose which they'd let control their actions. 

you signed, leaning your head back as you gave him a quick glance, "you think i'm a bad person no?"

his hair swayed as he shook his head rapidly, eyes wide in horror, "no! no that's not it."

you laughed, leaning your head back down. "i'm just messing with you."

he relaxed at hearing your words. he seemed conflicted about something before looking at you, "in my game..there were wolves and sheep. if you were the wolf by the end then you were the one to survive, even though the rules stated that sheep have to be the one to hide."

you could only imagine the chaos that had broken out between his friends. but by what arisu had told you before..you had an idea on what had happened. that the wolf really had tried to desperately find the sheep, "arisu..i imagine your friends sacrificed themselves so you could live," you gave him a quick glance to see him stare at you surprised, confirming your theory, "ah, so i was correct," you turned back away, "you shouldn't let their sacrifices be in vain. i'm sure they would want you to think only about the happy moments between you all. not the memory of when they died."

arisu laughed, sending you a soft smile, "you're really good at this." 

you returned it, giving a playful shrug, "well i did study psychology. when it comes to human nature..i know what people want to hear. therefore, i know what would make them feel better."

"heart games must come easily for you." he guessed, to which you hummed in response. 

"ah, you would be right about that." you had always been perceptive after all, these games just utilized that ability. 

"say, about usagi," you turned once more to let him know he had your attention, "as an executive, do you know what i can do for her to leave?"

you thought back to your plan to steal the cards, and chishiya wanting to have arisu and usagi in on it as well. but here wasn't the right time. if you really were going to go through with it, you'd have to wait a little longer, "the bar is really crowded. prying ears are something you cannot avoid. i think it's best if we discuss that another time."

he glanced around, as if he just now remembered he was in such a public place, "oh, okay."

"well? what did you do before?" you asked, wanting to change the subject. 

in the dull neon lights you could see his cheeks redden, quickly turning away, "ah, i lived at home. i didn't go to college or anything. i just played video games all day."

he was clearly embarrassed about the fact, and not wanting him to feel bad about not choosing college as his career you directed the conversation into a different direction, "oh! what kind of games do you like?"

he seemed surprised that you had shown an interest in his hobbies, but by the bright look in his eyes he seemed to appreciate it. arisu began to go on about the type of games he enjoyed and the achievements he had obtained, even talking about how him and his friends used to go to an arcade and play against each other there. 

by the time the conversation had died down, with you also contributing in talking about your love for reading and small snippets of your relationship with chishiya, the crowd had thinned out, and arisu seemed to take notice of this fact and how late it was becoming. 

"(name)." he called your name, and you waited expectantly for his next words, "uhm, thank you. the things i said..i couldn't talk to usagi about them since i didn't want her to worry. but you really helped me. i'm glad that we're friends."

you felt you heart hurt at his words. you began to rethink everything shared during the past couple hours and how your relationship with the male had seemingly progressed during this time. friends he called it, meaning he trusted you. he had talked about his life with you after all, the game he played, his worries and his hope. 

so we're you really okay with continuing on with this plan? of risking his life just for a deck of cards? 

"i'm glad we're friends too arisu." 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

a dull ache settled in your heart as you made it to your room, seeing chishiya had already settled himself into bed. the lights were off, with just the slow and steady breathing of his chest being heard. quietly as to not wake him you got into bed beside him, still not at all surprised to see him flutter his eyes open to look at you. 

"you were gone for a while." he spoke through the darkness, turning his head to look at you. 

you laid down beside him, staring up at the ceiling while waiting for your vision to adjust to the dark, "i ran into arisu at the bar. we talked and i lost track of time."

"did you ask him about the cards?" he asked. 

you sighed, knowing he would direct this conversation to your plan once more, "chishiya.."

he sighed as well, like he too knew where this was heading. it wouldn't be the first time after all, "i should've expected you wouldn't let it down."

you pushed yourself up, staring down at him as he looked up at you, "how could i? you know it's not safe, i don't want to put him into danger like that."

brown eyes narrowed at you, "so you'd rather put yourself?"

"yes." you didn't skip a beat with your answer. 

this time he glared at you, not happy with your answer, "don't be stupid."

offended you tried desperately to defend yourself, even if you knew deep down that you were letting your feelings get the best of your logic. you didn't understand how chishiya could completely throw that away, "i'm not! i'm capable of doing so. don't you trust me?"

"i trust you with as much as possible. but i don't trust that your position and relationship with the executives will get you out of that alive." he replied honestly, which you should've expected. it was what you loved right? what would get you to think more clearly about things.

"the same goes for arisu." you whispered, but the more this argument dragged on the more you realized that even though this had been your last chance at getting arisu out of this, you were failing in doing so. chishiya was making too much sense, and he knew he was slowly getting to you. 

he pushed himself up so he sat beside you, brown eyes cold as he looked you properly, "stop lying to yourself. you know it's for the best." 

you stared back, hating the lack of remorse in them. the softness that was no longer there. he was growing tired of your disagreement and reluctance to use the brunette, "there has to be another way. i dont..i don't want anymore blood on my hands."

"in this world blood will get on them no matter what. what matters is that it's not yours or mine." his words matched the look in his eyes, and no matter how desperately you looked for something else, it was no use. 

"i know that! i know.." you looked down, staring at your clasped hands that had tightened into fists. the stinging of your nails in your skin distracted yourself momentarily from crying. 

"then you know what has to be done." he laid back down, pulling the covers over his body. 

"don't you care chishiya?" you whispered softly, even if you already knew the answer. of course he cared. he was doing this for the both of you after all. 

"caring about others will get me killed. my top priority is getting myself out of here, with you as well." he answered. 

"and what about kuina?" you spoke quietly once more, afraid of what would happen to her if she wasn't in chishiya's priorities. 

"that will be up to her." 

you bit back the tears and laid back down yourself, turning to face away from his body and leaving a noticeable space between you two. you were no longer in the mood to talk, curling up into a small ball to keep yourself warm. normally chishiya was there to provide that for you. 

"you know this doesn't mean he'll get caught. you're overreacting." he broke the silence, but you just shifted away as a response, still not willing to talk. he sighed, the soft rustle of blankets moving, "don't you trust me?"

his words, you knew that what you answer was would determine the things that would happen from now on. and how the tension between you two would play out. 

you wanted to believe that chishiya would do his best to make sure arisu didn't get caught, he had thought this over for many days after all. so you spoke honestly, because you would trust this man with your own life if it came to it, "of course i trust you."

but if that were true, why did the churning in your stomach grow, and why were you still so reluctant in having arisu steal the cards? your conflicted feelings didn't make sense even to you, and in the dark of the night you wished you had talked to chishiya about it more, and listened to the gut feeling in your stomach.

maybe things would've played out differently otherwise. 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly this chapter hurt me. sorry guys :D


	16. ⌈ 15 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

when you had awoken the next morning it was to an empty bed. no note, just the hallow space of where chishiya had lay the previous night, blankets ruffled and pulled back to indicate his departure. but even through your irritation with him from the late hours of the night you couldn't help but feel disappointed, especially with him leaving without saying anything. the asshole didn't even bother to wake you up to let you know he was taking off, and knowing him, he'd be gone for a while.

you sighed, breath short as you stretched your arms upwards, bones creaking in protest before you reached back down to rub the sleep out of your eyes. the curtains were closed, but through the airy fabric you could see the sun peeking through, indicating that it was rather late in the morning. well, this was expected. you had been at the bar with arisu for some time after all, and chishiya was an early riser as well as a light sleeper, you being the complete opposite, so you weren't surprised to not have heard him get up in the morning.

you turned to hear the door click open, hoping perhaps it was the blonde, even if you knew deep down that it was wishful thinking. however, as you expected, a mess of braids appeared in your vision instead, and although happy to see kuina, it didn't stop the dull ache that had settled in your heart and the disappointment that creeped into your body. 

"morning!" she chirped, closing the door behind her and walking over to where you sat in bed. you gave her a soft smile in greeting as she looked around, confusion etched on her face, "chishiya isn't around?"

you felt your face fall at her words, looking away, "he left sometime this morning."

she seemed to notice your gloomy mood, eyes apologetic for having asked. swiftly she took place on your bed, leaning back on the palm of her hands, "good! he kills the mood anyways. did you eat breakfast already?"

you laughed softly at this, shaking your head, "i just got up."

she grinned at you, pushing her body back up and turning to face you, "alright! first we'll eat some food and then come back here and brush your hair!"

you shot her a confused look at the strange request, "brush my hair? but-"

"you'll shower first of course. it'll be relaxing for you and distressing for me so it's a win win situation." she explained, eyes pleading and waiting for you to agree. 

unconsciously you reached up and picked at your hair, feeling the texture. well, it was about time you washed it, and it'll be easier for kuina to brush through it opposed to it being dry. you put your hand back down before nodding, smiling as her face brightened in excitement. 

with that kuina waited as you got out of bed, freshening up quickly in the bathroom before shrugging on your sweater over your body and joining her in the hallway. 

you both engaged in a small conversation as you made your way down to the cafeteria to eat, filled with a small crowd of the members of the beach rushing to grab food. unfortunately most of the good stuff available was gone, however you were able to grab a cereal bar and some fresh fruit in a plastic container from the garden. strawberries ironically enough, sweet and sour and reminding you all too much of your missing boyfriend who seemed to have a strange fondness for the fruit. back in your days before the borderlands he was always seen with it in any sweet he ate, and you had quickly caught on to this and would cut and bring some for him during his working shifts. you hoped he had eaten already, and had also gotten to enjoy these sweet berries. 

"want to eat up in the room? it's too crowded here." kuina suggested, bringing you out of your thoughts as you agree. with that you weave your way through the growing crowd, feeling better when it was just the both of you walking down the hall, much emptier and quiet.

"how do you think they find all this food?" kuina thought out loud, rolling the package filled treat in her hands. 

"executives and volunteers go out for runs throughout tokyo." you explained, peeling back the plastic and popping a strawberry into your mouth. your face twisted at the initial sourness, but quickly dissipated once you had grown used to the taste. 

"volunteers?" she asked. ah, that's right, not many knew of the extra tasks regular members could perform. 

"for those who want to get a higher ranking without playing so many games. mainly the new members of the beach." you quickly explained, kuina nodding in understanding. 

"you think they keep track so no one tries to escape?" she thought aloud once more, gum stick rolling around between her lips as she talked. 

you gave a soft and bitter laugh, "i think with how things have been lately..some people are too afraid to go against hatter." not to mention most were just too blind of the utopia this beach initially was to really think deeper into the things happening lately. it was easy to overlook the signals once you've grown an emotional attachment to them. 

"and yet we're planning on leaving soon." she muttered, indicating that soon enough your time here will come to an end. 

"yeah.." you mumbled softly in return. 

"will you miss it?" she asked, brown eyes peering at you expectantly. 

"the beach?" you confirmed, kuina humming in response. you looked away, thinking about the question, "well..i'll miss the luxuries. electricity will be hard to come by and food will actually have to be looked for."

"ah the hot showers. that's gonna be missed." she whined, causing you to laugh at where her priorities and worries were located. 

"yeah, no kidding. but it's for the best. staying here for long won't be good." even now as the days rolled by the dangers were increasing. no one could possibly predict when things would be overturned. it could happen today, or two weeks from now, but it was not a risk you wanted to take. 

"you're talking about the rivalry?" she asked once more. 

"you experienced it first hand." you said, hinting at last night when she had been talking with arisu and usagi, and the militants had made an appearance. 

she shuddered, most likely remembering the events that had occurred, "it was scary. and of course arisu had to go run his mouth. i told him to keep quiet and stay out of it."

you laughed at her irritation, but she should've known with the little time of knowing arisu that it was expected, "come on, he was doing it for usagi. it was sweet."

she swiftly turned her body around to face yours, walking backwards as she talked in rushed words, "you've noticed it too right? those two totally like each other!"

"i'm guessing you mentioned that to them?" you rose an eyebrow in question, also remembering how when kuina had talked to the pair and they had grown defensive and flustered at her words. 

"well it's clearly obvious. i was just trying to get them to admit it while they still have time left." she defended, turning back around and quickening her steps once the hallway where your room resided came into view. 

"they'll realize eventually. i wouldn't push them too far." arisu and usagi were smart, they'd get through games and eventually come to terms with their feelings with each other during that time. 

kuina sighed in defeat, knowing you had made a good point, "alright."

you laughed softly at her small defeat, knowing she had good intentions on wanting to push arisu and usagi in the right direction. most would jump into a relationship with this world after all, but not all were capable of freely throwing their heart out into a world like this. chishiya had tried to take his back before after all, and you were sure arisu was too preoccupied on keeping usagi safe to really worry about the underlying feelings in his chest. 

you finally stood in front of your door, pushing it open softly and placing your food down on the table before turning towards your friend, "i'm going to shower first okay? don't eat my food." you sent her a knowing look, well known in the fact that kuina enjoyed stealing your food from time to time when your attention was directed elsewhere.

she grinned, a mischievous glint hidden in those brown irises, "no promises. your strawberries look extra delicious."

you glared at her before entering the bathroom, turning on the shower and waiting for it to warm up to the right temperature. as that was happening you peeled off your clothes, noticing that your skin no longer bore the bruises from your games, blue and purple as a souvenir of the hardships you had to endure, or from that night. it was nice, but it was still hard to look at yourself, not fully recognizing the individual that stared back at you through the mirror. they had been through a lot here, and you wondered if you'd ever be able to really return to your normal life, or if anyone here would. would anyone believe the stories told, of death games and cards? just how much emotional trauma and therapy would these people be able to handle before they broke?

you turned away, not wanting to stare any longer and entered the shower, letting the warm water cascade down your body. the hot liquid melted away your worries, and you realized kuina was right. you really would miss this luxury. cold showers were not your thing, and who knew if you would even be able to get a proper shower in the privacy of a bathroom? if anything you'd probably find yourself having to bathe in the river, which has surprisingly been free of pollution ever since coming to this world. 

by the time you had left the bathroom kuina had finished her food, somehow able to contain herself from yours and sitting cross legged on your bed with a brush in hand. you laughed softly at her eagerness as she patted the space in front of her before picking up your own food and sitting down, hair wet and dripping small droplets of water down your neck and back with the mattress dipping under your weight. and you sighed in content at the first stroke of the brush along your scalp, her fingers separating what strands of hair she was capable of doing. 

it was quiet as kuina did her best to brush your hair, relaxing just as she had said. your body eased as the tension seeped away with every tug, and you could feel your eyes begin to close as you leaned your head back, allowing her more access as your reveled in the soft feeling. 

"i forgot the last time someone's done this for me." you mumbled softly, slowly lulling off to a dream like state. 

"your mom didn't do this?" kuina asked, leaning forward ever so slightly to look at your face. 

you opened your eyes to look at her before looking down at your hands, clasped together and nails digging into the skin, "my mom didn't like me all too much. and my sister well..i'd never let her."

kuina sat back once more, continuing to brush through your damp strands, "bad relationship?"

you thought back to your younger years, remembering the words that at the ripe age of 8 you didn't even give a second thought to, thinking it was encouragement to do better. that was until eventually when you had made it to your teenage years they made all too much sense, harsh syllables and broken cries all too fake bringing you down and building up a wall between you and your family, "i was always compared to her so, i sort of just let the hate be the feelings i felt towards her. she was always nice to me but..she never really defended me against our parents. so that resentment just grew."

you felt kuina pause in her actions, lowering the brush in her hand, "i'm sorry. i don't really know what to say."

you mustered up a small smile, looking over your shoulder to stare at the girl, "ah, i'm over it now. after i left for college things got better, although i wished i could've fixed my relationship with my sister. it's not really her fault that she was favored."

"why don't you? after we go back." she asked. 

harsh winters and deep rooted sorrows, with a phone call you never thought you'd receive, "she died about a year ago." 

"oh." she whispered quietly. 

"i guess our household was too much for her. or maybe there was something else going on that no one knew about." you didn't know the real reason. you had skipped out on the funeral because you didn't want to see your mother and father, surely to blame you for the suicide of their youngest child. 

"do you miss her?"

you hummed softly, noticing the crescents embedded into your skin, red and surely to scar, "i miss what could've been."

kuina was silent at your words, contemplating on what to say next. she decided quickly that there was no possible sentence that could help relieve the sudden somber air that had been created and resumed brushing through your strands. you much preferred it this way than empty words that meant nothing, and was grateful for the silence as she gently massaged your scalp, all the way until you had fallen asleep. 

your small moment of peace was interrupted however when the door clicked open, eyes blinking in confusion and groggily sitting up at the noise and the feeling of kuina shifting from behind you. you could feel your heart ache at seeing who had been the one to enter, chishiya shuntaro back from whatever he had been doing for the past couple of hours. 

"so you didn't end up leaving without us." kuina joked, scooting back as to give you space to sit up and stretch. 

his mouth quirked into a small smirk, "unfortunately not." brown eyes drift down to the position you were currently in, hair now dry and kuina still sitting behind you, "arisu is outside."

"outside?" you asked, a little confused and still trying to shake the sleep out of your system. 

he walked over and pushed open the curtains, sunlight peeking through the window panes and dipping into the room. he leaned against the wall, eyes watching the activities going on outside, "now is the perfect time to include him into the plan."

"oh." you mumbled, attention also drifting over to the window. 

he glanced over to look at you, sitting back up and hands moving to close the curtains once more, "let's get started."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

a soft breeze blew your strands as you crouched down low, trying to drown out the wails of pain coming from below. shuffle of movement could be heard, and with the thuds of bodies clashing together and clanging of metal you had an inkling of an idea on what was happening. someone had broken the rules, and they were getting punished for it as a result. 

that wasn't your top priority however. instead you were waiting for the right time to approach the male, and it seemed it would be coming up soon as the cries silenced and the rustle of a cover being put into place was heard.

"heads up." chishiya spoke softly, as to not alert the upcoming militants of your spot here at the staircase. 

you shifted back ever so slightly, watching quietly as the group walked past and took the other pair of stairs up. you could breathe easily now that they were out of sight, but one nudge on your back and you turned to see what arisu had discovered, appearing in view after having been creeping around the area and asking members questions based on what chishiya had told you. 

it seems he had taken notice of the dumpster tucked in the corner, seemingly out of place in his eyes and also what the militants had been preoccupied on just minutes before. cautiously he walked up to it, bringing his hand up to his nose no doubt because of the smell and lifted the cover, face of horror and regret making its way onto his features. 

well, it had been hidden and handled by the militants for a reason. 

very briefly you could see the decaying corpses of the beaches missing members, the ones who had so foolishly kept cards or had tried to leave. you could feel your heart pang slightly at the thought, but it quickly went away when kuina stood up from beside you, indicating that it was time. 

slowly you pushed yourself up, following behind kuina as you stood at the top of the steps. she walked down a couple steps below you, with chishiya the closest to the male. 

"this is the true nature of this utopia," chishiya began, causing arisu to look up at him with his hand pressed against his nose. chishiya and kuina walked down even closer, you staying rooted to your spot, "this is part of beaches rule. death to traitors."

arisu stared at him confused, until drifting his attention towards you, a solemn expression on your face, "what...why.."

you let loose a small sigh, walking closer so you stood in front of chishiya at the bottom of the steps, "let's have a talk arisu."

"a talk..." he mumbled to himself, unsure. 

you could feel chishiya come up beside you, giving you a quick glance, as if silently telling you to do something. it was like he knew arisu would trust you, and agree if you were willing to. 

with a small puff of air escaping your lips you swiftly walked up to the brunette, giving him a soft smile to reassure him, "everything will be fine. we just want to ask you about something."

he stared at you before nodding in agreement. at this chishiya began making his way back up the stairs, no doubt going to the only place that would give you four absolute privacy. 

as you followed after the blonde you and arisu stayed towards the back, with your eyes set on his white hoodie and the girl's braids. 

arisu called out your name, still confused, "what's going on?"

you sighed, pushing open the door that led up to the stairs towards the roof, "remember our talk last night?"

he nodded, "yeah," suddenly his eyes widened, perhaps finally catching onto what this conversation would be about, "wait, do you have a plan?"

you paused in your words at this, finding yourselves already up at the rooftop. the wind was harsher up here, and you stared at the male, remembering what was about to be discussed, "arisu.."

chishiya cuts you off before you can continue, "you and usagi seem to have collected a vast amount of information. what are you both planning?"

arisu tore his eyes way from you to look at the blonde who had spoken, distrust evident in his eyes as he grew defensive, "nothing much." he answered, looking quickly at kuina as well who had popped her gum stick into her mouth. 

you could feel chishiya's eyes on you at arisu's words, but you didn't move to look at him. the blonde noticed this, and looked back at arisu, "i'll cut to the chase then. how will you live in this world that's filled with despair?"

the male's confusion only seemed to grow, "how?" he looks at kuina as she lowers her hand, until he finally looks at you. you lower your eyes ever so slightly, ashamed but awaiting his response.

everything mattered in this moment.

he looked back down at the ground, a little dejected, "i just want to know the answers to my questions. the ones behind this crazy game. and who killed karube and chouta. i thought i'd be able to survive and return to the original world with everyone. if that is not possible, i want usagi to return at the very least. that is the only reason why i'm still alive."

you felt your heart warm at his words. arisu really was such a kind soul, and you wished he hadn't found himself in a world like this. 

you quickly look over at hearing chishiya laugh softly, "what a tear jerker."

arisu looks over at him, more confusion and waiting for him to elaborate. 

"your dream," he starts, walking forward, "is cool. i wish for the same thing." chishiya's eyes met yours before looking away, "but it's not practical at all." he finished, pausing in his small walk around the rooftop. 

arisu looks offended by his words, and you're quick to speak up from your spot to elaborate when chishiya hadn't, "you'd have to make your way to the number one spot, or win all the games in the deck."

kuina also begins walking, "but that's impossible."

arisu furrowed his brows at this, clearly upset at the reality of this system, "it has nothing to do with you guys."

you walked over towards the male, placing a hand on arisu's shoulder, "i understand your dream arisu. we aren't trying to contradict it. we believe that it can be possible if we work together."

brown eyes stared at you confused, "huh?"

this time chishiya spoke up, "that's why we came to meet you."

"what do you mean?" he asked. 

"arisu.." he turns back towards you, waiting for you to continue, "what if we said there was a way to change the status quo all at once?"

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

hours ticked by as you sat in your room, kuina lying down in your bed as you and chishiya sat at the table. after your words you and chishiya began to explain your plan to steal the cards, and surprisingly enough arisu had agreed immediately, even after being told that he'd be the one risking his life to do so. 

you really wished he hadn't.

but alas, you knew he was doing this for usagi, and based on the other near death experiences he'd almost gone through for the sake of her, this situation didn't mean much to him. he'd simply do his best to get through the position he found himself in, and you hoped he was smart enough to not get caught, even with chishiya's promise to keep him safe. 

"it's your move." chishiya broke you out of your thoughts of the previous day's events, glancing down towards the chess board laid out. after you three had returned from breakfast this morning he had removed his trinkets and brought it out, challenging you to a game of chess. 

"right." you mumbled softly, moving your chess piece on the board, resulting in you getting a checkmate.

kuina watched the game in shock, wide eyes staring at you, "i don't think i've ever seen someone beat chishiya. do you know how many times i've tried?"

he reached forward and began retrieving the pieces you had stolen during the duration of the game, "normally she does it faster." 

"seriously?" she asked incredulously, believing it but still in shock. 

you laughed softly in embarrassment, "i'm just not in the right mind right now."

she turned towards you, brows furrowed in worry, "everything okay?" 

"yeah just.." your eyes drifted towards chishiya before averting away. you wouldn't talk about arisu right now, so you focused on another matter that has been rolling around in your mind shortly after your talk with the brunette, "hatter has been gone for a while hasn't he?"

kuina titled her head in confusion, "didn't he return this morning? i thought he was in his room?"

you thought it over, but after he had left last night for his game, everyone at the beach cheering for his departure, he hadn't been since since then, "only aguni returned as far as i know. i saw him during breakfast. but hatter i haven't seen."

"they haven't told you guys anything?" she asked, glancing between you two since this type of situation would normally be discussed amongst the other executives. it was hatter after all.

"well they normally make a big deal out of him coming back, but they just said that he was resting." you spoke, thinking back to the words that were said during the brief encounter with the executives in the morning. 

"who said that?" chishiya asked, calm and collected and not at all bothered by the missing man. 

"aguni.." your eyes widen in realization, and chishiya realized you had noticed it as well. with everything that had happened lately between the two, and aguni going out for the game as well, it had suddenly become clear. if only he was back and no one had physically seen him then maybe-

you all turned to see your door burst open, tatta rushing in as he breathed heavily in order to catch his breath. you stared at him confused, standing up to place a hand on his back.

"tatta? is everything okay?" you asked softly, quickly looking at kuina and asking her for the bottle of water left on the table. you grabbed it from her hands and extended it towards the male. 

"conference..room...meeting at once..." he breathed out, standing upright to look at you and chishiya as he took a couple chugs of the water. 

you shared a look with the blonde, realizing the meaning behind this sudden meeting.

something had happened to hatter. and you weren't sure if it was good or bad. 

swallowing thickly you let tatta know that you would be right down, to which he nodded before taking another sip of his water. before he could leave however chishiya stopped him. 

"go get arisu too." he requested, leaning back in his seat. 

tatta finally reclaimed his breath, looking at the blonde confused because of his strange request, "arisu? but he isn't apart of the executive board."

his eyes drifted to the male, cold and causing him to shake under the gaze, "i'm allowing it." 

tatta glanced at you and you just nodded. chishiya had to have good reason to let the brunette in on whatever was happening in that room. he nodded back before leaving the room, and as he closed the door you turned to face chishiya and kuina, the girl staring at you confused and in worry and chishiya pushing himself up from his chair. 

"shall we?" he asks, brushing past you to the door. you gave a small nod, mustering up a smile for kuina as you put your hand up in a wave.

"we'll be back soon kuina. we'll even finish our game later." you promised. 

she stared at you, knowing that the smile was fake but nodded nonetheless. tatta had seemed urgent, and even she knew that whatever this meeting was about, you could not miss it. 

you joined chishiya in the hall, beginning to walk towards the meeting room. it was quiet for the most part, and you decided to break the peace to let your thoughts be known. 

"is this what i'm thinking it is?" you mumbled softly, not wanting to believe the reality of what was happening and what was sure to come of it. 

chishiya hummed, amusement making its way onto his features, "there's only one way to find out."

that could only mean it really was what you were expecting. you weren't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing honestly. yes you had expected the fall of hatter's hierarchy, but not by this. you thought eventually aguni would fight against him, resulting in him being overpowered by the militants. and if it was happening this soon, then that only meant the plan would happen very soon as well. 

you both turned the corner to see arisu and usagi at the other end of the hall. you had to admit, tatta was quick in gathering all the necessary individuals needed for this meeting, but when they had tried to go through the militants guarding the area stopped them, niragi amongst them. 

"where did you guys come from?" he asks, eyeing them suspiciously, "we didn't ask you to come here."

"i called him over." chishiya spoke up from down the hall, continuing to walk towards them. you wished he wouldn't have gotten the attention of niragi however, who turned back to stare at you both. 

niragi scoffed, clearly agitated as he titled his head back, "hey, don't go around gathering people on your own."

you could feel yourself unconsciously press closer against chishiya's body as niragi took a step forward, eyes cast down and refusing to look at the man in front of you. the stare you could feel on your body was frightening enough. 

"there's something important he must hear." the blond answered back, giving a quick glance at arisu to let him know that the situation had been taken care of, "let's go in."

arisu turns towards usagi, who looked up at him in worry, "see you later."

she nodded in agreement, watching as he walked over to where you and chishiya stood by the door. you felt your anxieties ease as niragi disappeared inside the room, but you knew your peace would be short lived. 

he walks up beside you, whispering softly, "what happened?"

you cleared your throat, forcing the emotions down and smiling at the brunette softly, "i'm not one hundred percent sure but.." you looked over at chishiya, "i have a feeling it's important. so let's go in before we miss anything."

he nodded, and together you waited as chishiya pulled open both doors, quickly putting his hands back into his pockets and walking in. you and arisu shared a glance with each other before following after him, standing beside the blonde who stared at the center of the room. you followed his gaze, feeling your heart drop at seeing what everyone's attention was set on.

it seemed that you had been right about something happening to hatter. the dead corpse on the table was proof of that fact. 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	17. ⌈ 16 ⌋

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize deeply in advance for this chapter. trust me, it hurts me as much as it’s going to hurt you. also trigger warning, mentions of sexual assault and minor self harm along with a dash of heartbreak, so please proceed with caution. with that, enjoy :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

hatter, king of the beach and the person who had started this utopia, had been proclaimed dead.

this much had been confirmed during your little time spent in the room, with the heavy silence of the others and no other explanations needed to explain the situation. it was blatantly clear, especially as you stared at his unmoving form, skin pale white and chest still from movement as aguni, his best friend and closest comrade, stood over him. and if you didn't know any better you'd think he looked sad, face solemn as if silently mourning his dead companion. at the expression you could feel you're heart tighten in your chest, understanding the pain of losing someone in this world. it was not a nice feeling, and if not handled properly it could be the reason for brash decisions as to cope with their passing. 

as you continued to stare you couldn't help but think that in this moment, with hatter appearing almost peaceful in a deep sleep as he lay on the snow white cloth, you hated how you had been right about this. about someone who although questionable with his actions had died, during his night out to play in a game no less before he could return to the real world, and after having wanted only the best for everyone here. never did you think that this would be the start to the downfall. that hatter's death would now create the dominos effect of what was to come of the beach. 

the only question was, who killed hatter? because you knew it was not because of that game. 

your eyes couldn't seem to tear themselves away from the said male, burning as the images would forever be imprinted into your mind. it was a sickening sight, but still your attention never left, not even when the door opened once more and ann and tatta appeared in your vision, rushing in with a sense of urgency. the male stood next to her as ann stared at the content on the table, surprised etched onto her features with also horror, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"seems like he couldn't clear the game. the maintenance team found him by chance in shinjuku while we were refilling gasoline." tatta quickly explained, seemingly in discomfort at the dead body laying in the room as if it was nothing. just another simple thing.

quickly she walked forward, leaning down and reaching a hand out to touch his skin. but niragi, who unfortunately was allowed here inside this meeting room interfered, walking around her with his gun resting in the crook of his arm.

"hey, don't touch him as you please. you dissection maniac." she looked irritated at his words, turning to narrow her eyes at him but stopped nonetheless.

her eyes glanced over his body as a form of inspection instead before coming to a conclusion, "he was shot by a gun. did his game involve guns?"

tatta took the smallest step forward, "most likely," she turns her head at his voice, waiting for him to continue, "some of those near the game arena heard gunshots too."

this time niragi spoke up, amusement laced in his tone at the newfound information, "oh my. he should have brought the militants along with him!"

you shared a glance with arisu and chishiya, who just shook his head in response, and you couldn't help the bad feeling that had settled in your stomach. something didn't feel right. for one, the gun wound. sure it's likely the game really did have weapons incorporated, your first one was evidence of that. however, it didn't seem right that his body was found outside the game arena, not unless someone took the time to move it. but if that were also true, why not take it back to the beach as well? why just leave it there for anyone to find? and another question that had surfaced to the front of your mind was, why had aguni lied? did he know something you all didn't, maybe even knew who had done it? why didn't he speak up? who exactly was he protecting?

a strange voice broke the heavy silence, wobbly and quiet as they asked what every mind was thinking in this room, "what's going to happen to the beach?"

with hatter dead, the only one who could control not only the members but the militants as well, there was sure to be chaos as a result, just as you had predicted long ago. 

"keep this a secret from the rest. they'll be shaken by this." mira had been the one to answer the question, and although the plan of action was for the best how exactly would you keep his death a secret? it was only a matter of time before someone realized that the number one was gone, and become suspicious of his lack of appearances around the hotel. 

kuzuryuu stepped forward, also beginning to take action to make up for the absence of leadership, "i'll be the next leader since i'm number two."

the heavy footsteps of niragi's body moving around the room filled your ears, deafening and making your skin crawl and shivers rush down your spine, "wait a second. shouldn't the strongest person be the leader?" he glanced between aguni and kuzuryuu, before keeping his gaze on the latter and continuing his contradiction, "we're the ones who have been getting rid of the traitors, yet we have been treated as shadows the entire time. this unfair treatment ends today."

kuzuryuu seemed tired of his antics, also speaking up against his statement, "if number one dies, everyone moves up by a number. we agreed on this rule."

"the snobbish dictator is dead. the power has shifted hasn't it? let's just be democratic and go with the majority." he walks around kuzuryuu, asking a question to everyone in the room, "who agrees that aguni should be the next leader?"

not surprisingly enough everyone keeps their hands glued to their sides, eyes averted from the dark haired male. no one in their right mind would allow the militant leader to take the number one position, not unless threatened to. and as the heavy silence and tense atmosphere dragged on, niragi seemed to realize this fact as well until finally he scoffed, not liking the lack of voices. 

"what a bad reaction," dark eyes drift over towards last boss, who had stood hidden with his hood atop of his head towards the back of the room, shifting his body weight against his sword, "last boss." you had a bad feeling as he motioned with his head towards a certain individual in the room. no doubt he was now taking action to prove just how serious he was about voting aguni as the next leader. 

the sound of his sword being unsheathed filled the silence as he walked up to ann who unfortunately had been chosen as the first victim to his antics. everyone around her backed away at the sight of the sharp metal, threatening to pierce their skin as he pointed it at her, slowly moving it up towards her neck. she titled her head away as to avoid it, eyes downcast and hands shaking by her side. 

"i'll ask again," niragi began, turning to look at everyone in the room to prove that if they refused, this would be the outcome, "who agrees that aguni should be the new leader?"

ann stared at last boss, eyes narrowed before she scoffs, looking away before shakily raising her hand to vote. you could feel your heart drop at her decision, heart rate also quickening in your chest. yes she was scared, anyone would be, even you were feeling the terror creep up on you the longer you stood there rooted to your spot. but this, this would be the start of the executives falling into line with niragi's threats, and was fueling his sense of power. 

"this.." mira began, voice wavering, "is not a majority rule."

you dig your nails into the skin of your arm at the sound of niragi's laughter, walking around her, "it is, isn't it?" he leans in close, voice low but still loud enough for everyone to hear as he points his gun at her face, "you're free to vote after all." he sticks out his tongue, showing off his piercing.

it was the first time you'd ever seen mira scared, this was a woman who could endure hearts games after all, not afraid of the death and despair that came with it. but alas, it seemed like everyone, no matter how much they tried to hide it, was afraid of dying. she took a rigged deep breath in as she too shakily put her hand up in agreement.

he smirks at her answer before glancing over at kuzuryuu, "what about the former number two over there?" he lifts his head at his voice, "what will you do?

and just as you expected, he was silent for a moment, contemplating on what to do before he put his hand up as well. kuzuryuu was smart after all, a diamonds player and had climbed his way to the number two spot, maintaining the position for a long time. he wouldn't risk his life for a small vote. 

niragi turns around, glancing at the other executive next to chishiya who also put their hand up, before dark eyes settled on the blonde, making your heart race and beat out of your chest as he walked over to him.

you try to stiffle the sound in your throat and the increased racing of your heart pounding in your ears as he pointed his gun at him, "what about you?" nails dig even deeper as you stared at the man you cared for, praying that he would just agree like everyone else. 

slowly those brown eyes you loved looked at niragi, face blank as he stared at him but didn't say a word to his answer. 

niragi put his gun down, irritated at the blonde's silence as he slowly walked forward, the height difference between the two and the low tone of his voice surely to cause anyone to falter, "are you looking down on us, chishiya?"

"but you guys really are stupid." chishiya answered honestly, eyes continuing to stare at him with his facial expression unchanging.

the dark haired male stared right back, face almost disbelieving at his words and you sent a glare towards the blonde. now was not the time to test him, even if you knew he was trying to prove that he wasn't scared, that he'd never falter under a man like niragi. but even if you knew that, and even through the fear of seeing him so close to you it's finally when he steps even closer and points his gun at chishiya that you force yourself to intervene. 

"cut it out you two." you managed to let out, but it didn't stop the wobble laced in your voice.

his brown eyes glanced at you, surprised at your words before quickly turning into amusement, "so the princess has something to say," he walks forward so he's now in front of you instead and your heart started racing even quicker as your eyes looked at the barrel of the gun pointed at you, hating how close he was to your body, "what will it be chishiya?"

still shaking you slowly glanced over at said male, who was glaring at you before putting his hand up.

niragi laughs at finding the one thing to get chishiya to agree, not giving you any warning before pressing the gun harder against your neck, cold metal against your skin as he leaned in even closer to your face. you could smell his cologne, filling your senses and the ringing in your ears as your heart that wouldn't stop beating out of your chest made you want to cry out in frustration. in the way he made you feel.

"and what about you princess?" he whispers, voice low as his lips graze against your ear. you're too afraid to speak however, not even noticing the trickle of blood that had formed on your arm from how hard you were piercing the soft skin, "come on, don't make me kill you. or maybe..you want a repeat of that time we had fun together."

that was the breaking point for you. 

you had always been the type to shelter what you really felt, especially around those close to you. it didn't seem fair to openly express the emotions you were currently going through, not when they had their own worries as well and their own bad experiences that were surely worse than yours. it wasn't fair to give them your baggage when they had their own to struggle with. 

but at this moment, you could feel the mask you had so desperately worn crack, strings that you had tied knot after knot hanging by a thread and trying to keep the facade together. and as niragi reached forward to brush his cold fingers against your skin those strings snapped, wisps flowing away and causing the mask to fall off of your face, your heart, bare for the whole world to see.

for chishiya shuntaro to see just how broken of a human being you truly were. 

your chest squeezed tightly, air difficult to come by as a tiny wail left your throat. hands flew up towards your head and bunched the strands together, gripping tightly as you stepped back to get away from him, losing your footing as your bottom hits the ground and empty tears start streaming down your face as you begged it to stop. the touch of his skin on yours, gripping harshly onto your wrists. his legs, that had kept you from moving as you struggled under the weight of his body. the car that stunk of alcohol and his scent, with only his face in your vision. 

"stop..stop it stop it stop it." you mumbled out, shaking your head as your head hung low, staring at the ground. you curled in on yourself, trying to hide from the reality of your trauma and the ugly truth behind it. that no matter how much you told yourself that it was nothing, no matter how many times you brushed it off to worry about more pressing matters, the neglect you had run away from had finally caught up to you, and the weight of the mental struggle of dealing with it alone was finally pressing down on your being. 

you flinch as he raised his voice, niragi putting his gun up as if to hurt you, "huh? seriously? i'm asking you a question! you really want to die?!"

you turn your head away, bracing yourself for the hit that didn't come. when you realized this fact you slowly looked over to see that familiar white hoodie, standing between you and niragi as his hand was raised to stop the gun from making contact with your body. chishiya spoke something along the lines of you agreeing to vote aguni as the new leader before niragi scoffed, the rustle of his gun being lowered filling your ears along with your screams of protest and his chilling laughter from that night. 

you flinch once more at feeling someone touch you, shaking and slowly moving your head to look at who had done it. blonde dyed hair and brown eyes met yours, staring at you before glancing down, "come on. get up."

your lips wobbled as you shook your head in protest, but chishiya was already standing up, staring down at you and waiting for you to oblige. you truly didn't want to. just staying still felt like a much better option after all. but one slow look around the room and at seeing everyone staring at you, it was enough to make you realize what was happening. and frankly you didn't like the attention, of wearing your emotions on your sleeve and letting everyone know the truth behind one of their best players. it made you feel so weak and helpless, and so you looked away, forcing yourself to let shaking bones up onto your feet and endure the weight of how heavy your body felt. 

you turned to see arisu staring at you, brown eyes filled with worry and questioning what had just happened. but no matter how much you wanted to pretend your mask had broken, beyond repair and so you looked away from him as well, also jumping at the sound of niragi speaking once more, "hey, what are you spacing out for?" you hear his footsteps as he walks over to arisu and the click of his gun, surely pointed towards the male, "were you never taught that you should reply to people? whose side are you on?" 

you hear the swish of sharp metal, last boss's katana close by, meaning he was also threatening arisu at this moment. 

you tuck your bottom lip between your teeth, the metallic taste of blood filling your mouth at hearing niragi laugh, "you were really scared for a moment there, right? that's so funny," you assume arisu had put his hand up when niragi stopped laughing, speaking once more, "all right."

your eyes glanced up as silence filled the room once more, seeing that everyone had put their hands up, too scared to be threatened like the rest. they must've learned that no one would be able to escape as the opposing vote.

niragi spoke once more, amusement laced in his voice at the outcome, "suddenly everyone's voting yes. so the new leader is decided right?"

you shifted your attention over at hearing mira speak, eyes on you for a second before looking away, "hatter would not allow this. if he were alive he wouldn't approve."

more laughter ensued, and you looked back down at your hands, stained crimson and crevices embedded into the skin, "but he's dead." your eyes widen in horror as you looked back up and saw him walk over towards hatter, raising his gun and hitting his head repeatedly, "the dead won't know what's going on." he continued to prove his point, the thud of his weapon making contact with hatter's skull scratching your ears, "see?" finally you couldn't take it anymore as you looked away, disgusted and hating the sight of the male. 

and finally, the one who had been silent this entire ordeal spoke, "enough." footsteps sound again, and you look back forward to see aguni staring at hatter once more, silent before looking up, "from today onwards, i will be the beaches new king."

"isn't this wonderful?" niragi shouts in excitement, clapping his hands together in celebration. no one joins him however, and so the contact of his skin ceases, "now boss. all that's left is the succession ceremony. let's open the black envelope."

his words were unknowingly heavy as they left his mouth, not quite understanding what they meant. 

"the black envelope." chishiya began, arisu's face perking up at the sound of his voice. the wind from the rooftop was still harsh against your skin, whistling in your ears as the information you shared with chishiya back during the first time the cards were put away was currently being told to arisu, as a way to further explain the plan to steal the cards, "the poker cards gathered by all the members of the beach are kept in the safe in hatters royal suite room. the passcode to the safe is kept and sealed inside the black envelope. the envelope is opaque and kept in utmost secrecy, and can be opened only when there's a new number one."

arisu looked confused, wondering why this was being told. hatter was currently number one, so why was this important if it most likely wouldn't be a while until he left?

"he means that either we steal the black envelope and find the passcode," you began.

"or wait until the next number one is chosen." chishiya finished, smirk painting his lips. 

"but wouldn't that take a while?" arisu asked, still not understanding.

"could be," chishiya gave a small shrug, "i guess..whichever comes first will be what we choose to go with. i've already made plans for both outcomes." 

arisu seemed to finally understand, nodding for him to continue.

chishiya's smirk widened before speaking again, "the new number one will check the passcode alone in front of all executive members. then he will place the paper with the passcode written on it into a new envelope and seal it again. it will then be signed by all executive members before it is stashed away again."

that moment on the rooftop left your mind as quickly as it had surfaced, hearing the rustle of footsteps and fabric as the executives shuffled out of the room. you swallowed thickly before turning to leave as well, eyes averted from chishiya's whose stare you could feel on your body. 

arisu stared as chishiya gripped the back of your hood, forcing you to stop walking as he walked around and stood in front of you, "what was that back there?"

slowly you looked up at him, feeling small under his gaze as brown eyes chipped away at your strength of trying to keep what little you could together. your mask had fallen back there, and now there was no going back from keeping it on.

chishiya knew something was up, and those white lies that you had told him would no longer work.

you looked back down, nails digging into your skin once more, "the black envelope.." you spoke quietly, "we have to watch the ceremony."

the blonde stared at you, perhaps searching for something before he let out a frustrated sigh, releasing his grip on your hood and quickly turning away.

"fine then. let's get going. arisu go back to the room. we'll talk again later." he muttered out, not stopping to see if the brunette had agreed. 

your heart felt heavy and the pain was sharp as chishiya didn't spare you another glance, walking away. your eyes remained stuck towards the ground as arisu put a trembling hand on your shoulder, as if silently reassuring you and apologizing as he left down the hall.

you reached a palm up to smack against your forehead, gritting your teeth as you told yourself to get it together. to stop the tears that wanted to stream down your face in rivers of sorrows. you couldn't break down in the middle of the hallway no matter how appealing the thought appeared. 

щну Дяё уоц ₴о щёДк¿

you groaned softly in frustration at the thought, slapping your face once more before hurrying to follow after the blonde. just focus for a while longer. watch and try to figure out the passcode to the safe. if you can just do that, then everything will be okay. 

it'll be okay.

by the time you found the meeting room chishiya was already seated, and swiftly you took your spot right beside him. the door clicked closed as soon as you entered and everyone watched intently as the black envelope was brought in, placed right in front of aguni. 

the sound of ripping paper as aguni tore the envelope open, bringing out a small slip of paper. he dropped the now empty envelope as he titled his head towards the side, hiding the paper from everyone's view in his lap.

you forced yourself to focus on his facial expressions, trying to get any clues and trying to ignore the fact that chishiya hasn't looked at you once, brown eyes cold and narrowed at the man now in charge. you didn't think too much about it though, not wanting to focus on that since the pain would be too much, instead finding the first shift of emotion. 

browns eyes furrow ever so slightly, as if the contents didn't make sense. you tried to make sense of the emotions, racking your brain for an answer. if he was surprised then the passcode wasn't numbers, even though that's the only possible thing that could be used for the safe chosen. so perhaps, maybe the location? it would make the most sense since no one else knew of the true whereabouts of the cards. 

but that left another question in your mind. 

where was the real passcode hidden?

aguni proceeded to reach forward and bring out the new envelope, slipping the folded piece of paper inside and bringing out the ring hatter always wore. he pressed the top onto the hot wax, waiting for it to dry before removing it. once that was finished he slid the envelope around the table, and when it had reached you hands shook as you wrote down your signature, filling the space along with everyone else's. 

you sat back in your chair as you dropped your pen, the soft click of it colliding with the table as the envelope was finally passed around back to aguni. he stared at it wordlessly before dropping it back onto the table, everyone silent and deep into the ocean of their own thoughts.

he leaned back in his seat, face solemn as the new king of the beach was crowned. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

your stomach churned the more steps you took to your room, eyes staring at chishiya's back as he walked in front of you. it didn't take a genius to know that he was angry, and as he opened the door and closed it behind you, standing up at the front of the room as you sat on the bed, that he also knew. 

and that the time had finally come for you to speak the truth, no matter how much it hurt. 

"chishiya..." you spoke quietly, staring down at the blankets underneath you. 

you quickly looked up when he remained silent, staring at you and expecting you to continue. you took a shaky deep breath in, staring back down at your hands that had already started tightening around the skin, reopening the cuts that had healed. 

"my clubs game...you remember don't you?" you whispered out, reminding him of that time back during your third game. 

"i do." he stated. 

"niragi was there too." you continued, the same night you had been paired with the militants and chishiya had tried to switch groups with you. 

"i know."

"we played together, and at one point he saved me. but i returned the favor by saving him as well," you gave a quick look up, seeing his face still hadn't changed. it remained unreadable as you took a final deep breath in, "after our game he.." you paused, trying to recollect yourself and force the memories out of your mind to focus, "we got into the car..and he told me that i needed to repay him."

once again you could feel his harsh grip, the fear you felt when he had stopped the car and your knees that had scrapped the asphalt, screaming at him to stop. 

salty tears started streaming down your face, wetting your cheeks as you looked up at the blonde, "i told him no but he..he wouldn't stop."

you continued to stare, to gauge his reaction to the meaning behind your words. he stared right back, seeing brown eyes cold like harsh winters with no fire to keep warm. but with the harsh look came a new emotion, the frostbite to the cold. your heartbeat quickened when you realized it was anger, and you jumped when chishiya turned around and banged his fist against the dresser, hands shaking and blonde strands falling onto his face.

you felt scared in that moment. not of chishiya himself, but of the silent anger he was surely holding in and trying to keep steady. 

"so it's just as i had expected," his words were bitter, and your heart stopped at realizing that he had already had an idea on what had happened, "why didn't you say anything?" he asked, turning his head to look at you. 

you stood up from the bed, desperate to explain yourself as you took a step forward, "because! i know you chishiya. you would've killed him, and the militants would've killed you in return! i..i couldn't lose you like that."

he pushed himself up as well, gaze cold and sending chills down your spine, "who says i won't do it right now? who says i won't kill the fucking bastard?"

you took another step forward, eyes downcast as you gripped the front of his hoodie in your hands, "please..just..just not right now."

he let out another frustrated breath, "you're so fucking stupid."

his words sent a strike of pain through your heart, and more tears fell down your face as you hands tightened and you hung your head down low, "i'm sorry. i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry-"

another sigh laced with irritation, "stop apologizing." he noticed that you had gone rigid at his harsh tone, hands hesitating over your head buried into his chest before deciding against it and letting it fall back down by his side, "i'm just..angry that you were stupid enough to not say anything. and at myself for not preventing it."

you quickly looked up at those words, shaking your head as more tears streamed down your face. the last thing you wanted was for chishiya to believe that it was his fault, because that was far from the truth. no one could've known that this would've happened. if there was anyone to blame, it was niragi himself, "no! no chishiya it's not-"

gently he pushed you away, eyes averted as he began walking towards the door, "i need some time. i'm sure kuina knows right? go talk to her."

"chishiya.." your voice broke, cracking with the pieces of your heartbreak. no, he couldn't leave. he couldn't he-

he stopped by the door, halfway open as he looked back at you, "i'm sorry that this happened to you," you stared at his face, full of regret as he meant every word said, "but i can't be the comfort that you want right now."

you barely had time to reach your hand out before he turned back around, the door clicking shut behind him. you were silent for a moment, in shock and disbelief as you brought your hand back to your side, staring at the upturned palm. your silence was short lived however as drops of pain splashed onto it, and you let out a wail of agony. your hands clutched desperately at your chest, constricting and painful and swirling with the emotion of your distraught. 

this was your fault wasn't it? the consequences of keeping it from chishiya. you thought you had been protecting him, from the outcome of what was surely to come were he to find out. but you had been lying to yourself, digging a hole that you could no longer leave as the consequences of your lies. depths of despair you made yourself. of refusing to talk even though he was right there.

and now you were paying for it, despite how hard you had tried to keep him close. because in the fear of losing him, you didn't realize that he was already gone.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mm yeah don’t hate chishiya. he’s overwhelmed and doesn’t want to hurt you any further :(


	18. ⌈ 17 ⌋

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> minor detail but my dumbass forgot that the speech happens the same day, so i changed ‘tomorrow’ to ‘later’ from last chapter. anyways hope you enjoy :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you forgot the last time you had felt this way. perhaps when chishiya had first left you, back before the borderlands at that crepe stand. no further explanation besides the fact that he was gone, and no longer in your life, leaving a deep hole in your chest where he used to be. it had been hard the first time, and now that the emotions were coursing through your body once more, it hurt just as much, maybe even worse.

you didn't even take the time to knock on kuina's door before entering, bones creaking with each step that you struggled to take. luckily she was in her room, laying on the bed and fixing her braids when she saw you. soft brown eyes gazed at you worriedly, widening when tears that you thought had stopped rushed down your cheeks once more.

"kuina.." you whimpered out, reaching your hands up to desperately wipe them away. but they kept coming, and soon enough her hands were gently grasping your wrists, moving them away from your face so she could look at you properly.

"oh sweetheart..what happened?" she whispered, this time being the one to wipe your tears, finger pads warm and gentle against your skin.

"chishiya..i told him and..oh god i messed up so bad." more cries sounded from your throat, with kuina sighing before reaching forward and embracing you in a hug, whispering to quiet you down and rubbing your back in soft circles. 

"come on, let's lay down in bed and you can tell me what happened." her voice was quiet in your ear, and you numbly nodded before letting her direct you to the mattress, sitting down and you curled up right beside her, hands shaking against your chest and bottom lip trembling as you rested your head in her lap. once more she began the soft ministrations to help ease your worries, waiting patiently until you calmed down before speaking again, "are you okay?"

by now the tears stopped, and you just stared into space while thinking over the question. but the answer was obvious. you most definitely weren't okay. you had lied to the one person who trusted you, and had driven him away because of it. 

"i told him about what happened..and he said to come to you instead." you mumbled out, still remembering his words from before. at the thought your chest begun to hurt even more, so you forced the memory away. 

"so he's not in the room?" she asked, cautiously as if stepping over broken glass.

"no he..he left somewhere i don't know." the last words came out rushed, and your heart squeezed tightly in your chest as you realized you didn't know the blonde's whereabouts. who knew what he was doing right now, and what trouble he was causing.

"i'm sure he'll be back soon." kuina reassured, brushing away stray wisps of hair from your forehead. 

"do you..do you think he hates me?" your voice wobbled as it spoke, stumbling over the tightrope of words that you were scared to cross over.

she shook her head before realizing you couldn't see and instead spoke her thoughts out loud, "chishiya cares about you a lot. him leaving isn't because he hates you. i think..it's a shock to hear something like that, especially from someone you thought you'd protect from everything. he just needs time to sort out his feelings."

even though the syllables made sense it still didn't help. couldn't he understand that you needed him? even if he wasn't a particularly comforting person he was still the one you wanted. the one you wanted to be there as you cried, "but why..i want him here...with me."

"i think you know better than anyone that he isn't good with feelings. he might be afraid to hurt you any further." she murmured once more. 

you stayed silent, not trusting your voice as you could feel her cover your body with a blanket, the fabric soft and airy against your skin and providing what little warmth it could in your hallow heart. the one that ached for the person you knew deep down would need time to handle things properly before being there for you. 

kuina hummed from above you, trying to lighten the mood, "don't worry, if he doesn't come back within the next couple of days i'll personally hunt him down and drag him over here to apologize."

you laughed softly at this, imagining an angry kuina grabbing chishiya by his hoodie down the hall. it seemed like something she would do, and you were grateful for that fact that she cared enough to not only scold him for you, but was here to comfort you as well. you didn't deserve someone as kind as her in your life. 

"thank you." you whispered, causing her to hum lightly in response.

"i'm always here if you need me." she remarked, patting you softly on the head. 

a comfortable silence filled the room, and as kuina's fingers continued to touch the skin of your back you could feel your eyes begin to grow tired, exhausted from the morning and the amount of tears you had shed in the past 2 hours. your heart rate had calmed down and the shaking of your hands stopped and finally, your body relaxed for the first time as your eyes fluttered close to a deep sleep.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you awoke to the shift of kuina's body moving and the absence of her warmth, feet padding against the floor as she answered the knocks thudding against the door. voices sounded throughout the room and you groggily stood up when they didn't cease, eyes still half lidded and figures blurry as you strained to listen.

"now? but they're still in a fragile state." you heard her protest, making your confusion grow. was there a meeting of some sorts? but you just had one, what was so important that needed to happen now? 

"we have no choice. succession ceremony is soon and if we don't leave tonight then another opportunity won't present itself for a while." the other voice informed, and it took you a second to recognize the tone that kuina was currently talking to. 

you heard her sigh, weary and not at all wanting to agree. however, it seemed as if she had no choice, "i hope you're right about this chishiya."

your heart skipped a beat at the name, and you lowered your hands that had reached up to rub the sleep out of your eyes when said male appeared in your vision, hands in his pockets as he stared at you. already you could feel the pieces you had bandaged together crack again, scared and confused on why he was here. you thought it'd take longer for him to sort things out, so what was going on?

never breaking eye contact he spoke to the girl beside him, "kuina go get arisu and usagi. we'll be waiting in my room."

kuina looked as if she wanted to protest, no doubt knowing of your fragile state and not quite trusting what would happen if you two were alone together so soon. but one look from chishiya and she sighed, eyes narrowed as she glared at him before giving an apologetic smile towards you and leaving.

you watched her figure disappear before settling your gaze back to the blonde, waiting anxiously for what he had to say next. already your nails tightened against your skin, crescent moons embedded in your wrists. 

he sighed, hands shifting as he rummaged around his pockets, "just like i was telling kuina the plan will execute today, during the succession ceremony," he brought out his ipod, showing you the time and confirming that aguni's new title would be announced to the beach soon, "i'm going to discuss plans with arisu and usagi so they are ready."

you could feel the disappointment settle as he put the device back into his jacket, eyes watching and waiting for a response. maybe because you had been hoping that despite the trauma chishiya would at least acknowledge it. but here he was, on a different topic with more pressing matters. once again you had to push your feelings aside. 

you looked down at your hands, playing with your fingertips, "okay." 

"stop that." he grumbled, causing you to feel even more dejected at the tone of voice. 

"i cant.." you whispered, already feeling the buildup of tears in your eyes. embarrassed, you looked away, reaching up and rubbing your palm against your skin to catch them from falling. 

chishiya let loose a frustrated breath, fingertips pinching the skin between his brows, "i'm not.." he paused, struggling with the right words to say, "i'm still angry, but i'm not disregarding your feelings. now isn't a good time to talk about it so just wait and focus on the plan."

you stared at him before looking down at your hands, realizing that this situation was all to familiar to a different one. but what? what was it?

your heart raced as you approached the woman, clearing your throat to gain her attention, "mom."

she gave you a quick glance before turning away, picking up the bottles of water and the pills in the container, "i'm busy."

you inhaled a shaky breath, trying to calm your nerves, "i know, i just i think i-"

"didn't i tell you to stay quiet? your sister is going through a lot right now," she muttered, wrinkles evident on her forehead as she sighed. 

a small whimper left your mouth at the harsh tone, tugging on her sleeve, "mom please."

she turned to look at you, glaring at your small figure, "don't you care about her? why don't you think about her feelings instead."

your hands trembled around the fabric as you looked down, "but-" 

"i don't have time for you to come complaining to me about nonsense. go finish your school work or something." she pried your hands away and waved you off, pushing open the door to your little sisters room. you only had time to see your mother smile, voice soft as she spoke to her before the door closed, casting you away from the love you so desperately seek for.

ah, that's right. it was just like that time. those memories of your old household. of the many events where your feelings and worries were cast aside for something greater. back then it was your sister, and now it was a deck of cards.

but did you have the right to complain? you were the one who had hid it after all, perhaps this was another one of the consequences for your lies. 

"okay.." you whispered, you growing quiet after that. chishiya didn't speak either, and it didn't take long before you couldn't handle it anymore, getting up and stuffing your hands inside your pockets and moving to leave the room. you were stopped however by chishiya grabbing the back of your hood, causing you to slowly turn your head to look at him.

"here." you blinked in surprise as he held out a sweet, a lollipop to be exact with strawberries decorated onto the wrapper. cautiously you take it from his hands, staring at the sweet in confusion before looking back up at him.

chishiya didn't say anything else however before leaving, no doubt to see if kuina had successfully gathered arisu and usagi into the room. you stared back down at the lollipop, rolling the stick in between your fingers before putting it into your pocket and following after the blonde.

soon enough as you sat beside kuina in one of the chairs arisu and usagi took their seats as well, the brunette nervous as he sat across from chishiya while usagi seemed untrusting, opting to stay standing at the back of the room. 

the blonde's lips twitch up into a small smirk, but didn't waste time on greetings and casualties, instead getting straight to the point, "first, arisu will infiltrate the royal suite. then he will search for the safe and steal all the playing cards inside."

arisu gave a quick glance down before he directed his attention back to chishiya, "what about the passcode?"

he looked down at the piece of furniture, chuckling softly to himself as if remembering something funny, "i have an idea of that. i'll tell you when you're in front of the safe." he explained before he placed a walkie talkie down on the table. 

arisu smiles, "you're really cautious. i got it." he looked determined, reaching over to grab the device. 

you could feel chishiya's gaze on you, and you swallowed thickly before reminding yourself to focus on present events, "me, usagi and kuina will be on lookout. we'll make sure no executives are around to catch arisu. if you see someone, alert them on the walkie talkie or try to stall for as long as possible." you surprised even yourself as your voice appeared steady, bringing out the devices chishiya had given you earlier. you hold one out for kuina who gladly took it before doing the same for usagi. the girl however just stared at your hands and didn't shift to move. 

usagi looked away, hands trembling as she tightened them into fists, "this is too dangerous," her eyes shifted once more and settled on the blonde, "if we're discovered, we'll be killed." 

your mouth twitched down into a frown, but you understood where she was coming from. arisu was the one being put into absolute danger after all, no doubt she was scared for his safety, left into the hands of people she didn't fully trust. you'd be cautious too. 

but if she didn't agree, then this plan wouldn't work. you needed her cooperation. 

arisu and chishiya shared a look before the former turned to look at usagi, eyes pleading for her to understand, "this is the only way to change the current situation," she looks at him instead and the brunette swallowed before continuing, "now that hatter is dead and there's no unity at the beach, the time is right for this plan."

you forced your limbs to work and take you to the girl, stopping right in front of her and taking her hands. your eyes are downcast, staring at her upturned palm before placing the device in them and closing her fingers around it. your hands wouldn't stop trembling however as you placed both your hands around hers, "he's right. i'll make sure nothing happens to you or arisu. so trust us, okay?"

she stared at you, like trying to figure out if your words and promise would be true before slowly nodding in agreement. you forced a small smile before dropping your hands, unintentionally locking gazes with chishiya when you moved to return to your seat. he didn't smile, face blank and unreadable and oh so frustrating for you. quickly he averted his eyes, letting loose a small sigh as he stood up from the table. 

he grabbed his own walkie talkie, throwing it up and catching it in his hands as he glanced around at everyone in the room, smirk playing on his lips, "good luck everyone."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

the silence was deafening the longer you stood there, body weight supported by the wall beside you as you stared at your hands, clutching tightly to the walkie talkie left in them. everyone should be in position by now. all you had to do was wait for the signal to leave in case things went south, a signal you prayed would never be uttered. 

the small device crackled to life, with chishiya's voice sounding through, "the new leader is making a speech in the lobby. all executive members and the militants are at the annex. we won't get another chance like this. i'll let you guys know if there are any changes. i'm counting on you, arisu."

"understood." arisu's voice also crackled to life, tone low until it disappeared with the male no doubt already searching through the room.

you sighed, lowering your hand as you glanced down both ends of the halls. so far no one was around, so luckily for you you didn't have to worry too much about being on the lookout. if anything you should be more worried about usagi and chishiya, who was watching the speech and also guarding the hall leading to the royal suite. kuina was a couple halls over, but her voice hadn't spoken through the small device quite yet. you prayed that she was okay, and that everything was going well for everyone.

you jumped a little at arisu's unexpected voice, looking down and straining your ears to listen to the muffled sound, "i found it!"

your heart began racing at the words. so quickly too? you shouldn't be complaining, this was great after all. but hatter had been a cautious man. would the safe really be so easy to find, or was arisu just quick to search for things?

"so, what's the passcode?" he asked, although you couldn't answer since you didn't know the four digit code, not even after aguni had 'seen' it while in the meeting. 

"it's 8022." chishiya's voice surprised you and you wondered, how had he figured that out? was that what he had been doing when he left you alone in the room? 

"did you see the contents of the letter?" arisu asked, also surprised that the blonde had answered so quickly, even after saying no one else but the number one was allowed to see what was scribbled onto that piece of paper. 

"no. but aguni's expression told me everything. that instant, aguni's face looked dark. it was as if he was surprised, and perplexed. i'm sure the contents must be empty." he explained, words and syllables making sense to your ears. you had noticed it too after all, the way aguni had looked confused. but the paper couldn't be empty right? because then where would the code be? 

"empty? then what about the passcode you told me?" arisu asked your question out loud. 

"the wax seal. it was embedded with the Boss' ring, and it formed numbers. that was the code itself. it's 8022." you could practically hear the smile in chishiya's voice, no doubt proud about the fact that he had figured it out. 

and through his words you realized that he was right. it was so painstakingly obvious now that you thought about it. it was an accessory after all, no one would think twice about the ring around hatter's finger. they'd be too preoccupied on the actual slip of paper than the fact that those words were the numbers leading to the beaches most prized possession.

it was perfect for hiding things in plain sight. 

"i wouldn't want to be your enemy." arisu laughed awkwardly, before the device went quiet. 

you could breathe a little easily now, head leaning back against the wall and muscles relaxing themselves. arisu must have the cards by now, and would be heading back to your room to celebrate.

you'd get to leave tonight, and maybe even resolve what you could with chishiya as well. 

"it won't open!" arisu's voice shouted through the walkie talkie, filled with urgency and causing you to stand back up straight, "chishiya. hey, chishiya!" you looked back down at the device, confused and waiting for chishiya's voice to reassure him to try again. 

but it never came. the device never crackled back to life, not even with arisu's voice. 

fear embedded itself inside your heart as you reached your hand up, pressing down on the button and opening your lips to speak only to pause when a hand placed itself onto your shoulder. you froze, turning only to relax at seeing kuina, who shook her head and lowered the device. 

you did as she indicated, seeing that her features seemed worried and scared, "kuina? what's going on?"

"the plan was a fail. we have to go back to the room." she explained, waiting until you began following her down the hall. 

"a fail? what happened?" your words came out rushed, fear striking your heart once more as you struggled to catch up with her. 

she paused, glancing at you quickly before looking away, "chishiya will explain."

something was wrong. very wrong. what was she keeping from you? "why can't you just tell me now?"

she sighed, stopping and turning around to grip your shoulders with her fingers, "please just wait alright?"

you stared at her, trying to search for a reason before looking away, nodding your head slowly. fine, if she wanted you to wait then you would. you've done that your whole life after all. 

together you both weaved your way through the halls, finding your room and opening the door. chishiya wasn't there, neither was the missing duo who still hadn't spoken through the walkie talkie. your stomach churned, a bad feeling settling as you sat down at the table, leg bouncing as you waited for the blonde's return.

soon enough he did, and you stood up quickly to gauge his reaction, eyes scanning his face. he seemed...normal, not at all afraid or worried. so were you overreacting then? 

"chishiya what happened?" you asked, still scanning his features for any indication as to why the plan had failed.

brown eyes bore into your own before quickly looking away, "i underestimated how long the succession ceremony would be. they came back a little too early to the room."

your heart dropped to your stomach, shaking your head and trying to shake the feeling away. but if they came back...,"arisu..is he okay?!"

once more eyes stared into your own, quiet but he seemed conflicted about something. like he was struggling to put the words together. finally he spoke, soft smile gracing his lips, "of course. i warned him before leaving myself. he should be fine."

dои'т lї₴тёи то нїм.

you ignored the small voice in your head, asking a different question instead, "why isn't he here then?"

"it would look suspicious if the only people not there at the ceremony were bunched together no? he's back in his room, usagi should be there as well." he was quick to explain, walking over to where you stood and placing down his walkie talkie.

"then the cards.." you whispered, looking up when he spoke again. 

"don't worry about that. we're going back tonight." he sent kuina a quick glance, who had remained quiet this entire conversation. and her face, she looked guilty about something. what was it?

you looked at him, confused, "tonight? but will it be safe?" 

"this is the only other opportunity we will get." oh, before the games. everyone would be busy trying to get together and aguni would most likely do another speech to motivate the players just like hatter had done. 

you nodded, agreeing with the male, "alright. when are we leaving?"

"you aren't going." 

you shifted your attention between kuina and chishiya, not understanding even if his words had been clear, "what? why?"

"kuina already agreed to be the lookout. i should be fine if it's just her." he quickly explained, with kuina looking away and nodding in response. 

"you're going to take them? what about arisu?" you asked. why wasn't he using him like before? 

"his visa expires tonight. he needs to play a game so he won't be able to join us." 

you swallowed thickly, forcing down the unease crawling up your throat as you looked up at chishiya. there was something..off about him. and the gut feeling in your stomach wasn't helping either. 

but you wanted to believe him. so you did.

you tore your eyes away from his face, clutching at your sleeve as you nodded, "ok. you guys go ahead then." 

you stuffed your hands inside your pockets, moving to leave the room when a hand grasped at your arm, stopping you from taking another step.

"where are you going?" it was chishiya, but you didn't look at him, keeping your eyes downcast. 

"i'm just going to walk around, you guys be safe." you muttered, prying yourself away before leaving the room.

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you weren't sure how long you spent up on the rooftop. 

all you knew was that by the time you finally stood up from your spot the moon had peeked out and took its place in the sky, stars twinkling in the dark expanse of the city. it was cold, wind blowing your strands and tickling your skin but you ignored the sensations, instead focusing on other things, like your time in the real world. 

they were much happier thoughts, opposed to the ones plaguing your mind on the unease the blonde was bringing you. it was strange, how his words and body language seemed different, like he was keeping something from you. 

but what was it? 

you eventually grew sick of your own thoughts however, hating the way you were starting to view him. no, chishiya wouldn't lie to you, there was no reason to. and that was when you decided to finally head back down, walking aimlessly through the halls. you wondered if chishiya and kuina were back by now, but the thought was short lived when a figure bumped into you, apologizing quickly after the impact. 

you glanced at the figure, surprised to see ann, with a sense of urgency oozing from her body. you could even say she looked stressed, "ann?" you questioned worriedly, placing a hand onto her shoulder.

"i'm sorry, i wasn't paying attention." her words came out rushed, very unlike her usually poised behavior. 

"what happened?" you asked, wondering what had been so distressful to cause her to act like this.

she sighed as she reached up and pushed her short hair back from her face, "someone broke into the royal suite and tried to take the cards."

you could feel your heart drop to your stomach, your only thought being that chishiya had been the one to do so, "broke in?"

"they've been detained already. it was the newcomers, arisu and usagi i believe? you were close to them weren't you?" she asked.

no. no no that couldn't be right. chishiya said that they were fine. that they were in their room getting ready for the games starting soon. he had warned them, he told you himself. he wouldn't lie about something like that. not to you.

right?

you looked down, still trying to process the words, "yeah but-"

"i'm sorry, this must be hard for you." she apologized.

you swallowed thickly, forcing yourself to speak despite the situation, "what are they planning on doing to them?"

"arisu's visa expires today. they plan on letting the game masters take care of him." she muttered, perhaps not appealed with the idea.

"they're going to kill him?" you asked, feeling your hands shake and so you stuffed them inside your pockets to stop. 

"it's the third rule. death to all traitors." she whispered, voice grim. 

"what about usagi?" you asked again. if arisu was stuck god knows where, then what were they planning on doing to the poor girl you had called your friend?

"niragi is taking care of her i believe." she sighed, causing you to widen your eyes in shock. 

you could feel the vile in your throat at the thought of what niragi would do to her, reaching a hand up to place a shaking palm over your mouth, "oh god."

"are you okay?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in worry. 

"i..i need to go." you breathed out, not waiting for her to reply before you stumbled to leave. 

your chest tightened as you rushed to your room, millions of questions in your mind. but one stood out amongst the rest, red and blinding and making your heart shoot with a sharp pain.

why had chishiya lied?

you pushed open the door, scanning the room but there was no sign of the blonde or your friend, just the empty space of where you had spent a majority of your time. you wanted to cry out in frustration, about to do just that when a piece of paper caught your eye,  
stuck to the table in the center of the room.  
quickly you rushed towards the piece of furniture, reading the words scribbled onto the sticky note. 

you sighed, full of exhaustion and worry as you crumbled the note in your hands. apparently things had gone well, and he was waiting for you down by the entrance of the hotel, ready to leave. were you ready to face him though? after he had so blatantly lied to your face for weeks? well, you supposed you did as well, but this was serious. this was someone's life he had put into danger, used and thrown away and for what reason? hadn't arisu proved to be trusted? didn't he care about the brunette just as you did?

weren't they friends? 

and how did you not notice it? were you really so preoccupied on believing that his words were true because you loved him, causing you to miss the signs? or had you just simply ignored them when presented to you?

you left the room, not caring to take your things as you rushed down the hall and stairs. maybe he had good reason. maybe he had no other choice. and as you made your way down to that familiar archway, seeing the blonde there who smiled in triumph and held up the deck of cards, you prayed that he'd admit to his dishonesty.

he looked down at the playing cards in his hands, "the safe was hidden behind a painting."

"chishiya.." you whispered, causing him to look back up at you, "where are the others?"

please, don't lie. please tell the truth. 

he smirked, quick to answer your question like he had rehearsed this exact situation millions of times before, "i told you already didn't i? arisu and usagi are probably on their way to a game. i'm afraid they won't join us as we leave."

lїДя.

"and kuina?" you asked, already afraid of the answer. 

he hummed, glancing up at the windows visible from where he stood, "she wanted to stay behind as well," he looked back at you, "come on, it's time to go." 

you backed away when he took a step closer, hands shaking as you hugged yourself and felt the salty tears well up in your eyes, "when are you going to stop lying to me?"

he laughed, amused, "what are you talking about?"

"chishiya...what did you do? what did you do to arisu?!" you yelled, fingernails digging into the fabric of your sweater.

he sighed, no longer putting up that facade as he realized you weren't going to back down, "i did what i had to do."

at his words you could feel those pieces of your heart that you had bandaged oh so carefully crack even more, peeling off until it shattered to pieces. and as you stared at those cold brown eyes, you realized, not even glue could put them back together. 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿


	19. ⌈ 18 ⌋

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a love hate relationship with this chapter honestly. but anyways, hope you all enjoy :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . . 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

it was like the veil you had put around chishiya had fallen, light and airy as it hit the ground and revealing his true nature. reminding you who exactly you were dealing with. who exactly he truly was. and you hated it, even if you knew deep down that this was inevitable. that you had already known the things chishiya shuntaro was capable of doing for the sake of his own life.

your knees buckled from under you at the sound of the ugly truth, muscles weak as you fell towards the ground. the stinging after the contact hurt, but you ignored it, staring down at the concrete in shock at what he had just told you.

"you lied to me." you breathed out in realization, the truth that you had ignored for so many weeks now. it was obvious now wasn't it? chishiya's persistence to have arisu steal the cards, that look he had given you when you had told usagi to trust you and the gut feeling in your stomach when he had first introduced the idea of including him in the plan. why hadnt you listened to it before? why had you ignored all the signs?

"and you didn't?" he asked, voice harsh and reminding you that you did in fact do the same thing to him. but these were two completely different scenarios. you had lied to keep him alive, and he had lied to frame arisu, leading to his death. 

"that's different." you mumbled out, only to flinch when he spoke once more, tone of voice low and cold. 

"it's stupid that's what it is." the words sent a sharp pain through your heart, the tears you had so desperately tried to force down from falling threatening to do just that. 

you looked up at him, his figure distorted through the water gathered in your eyes, blurred and nothing like him. like the man you thought you knew. 

"i did it for you." you cried out softly, trying to make him understand your motive. that the fear of losing him was too great to really be honest. 

he continued to stare at you, no laughter or smile that would somehow prove that it was just some sick joke, "and i did this for you."

you shook your head, not wanting to believe what he was saying. did this mean that this was your fault as well? maybe if you hadn't befriended arisu, if you hadn't agreed to include him in the plan he wouldn't be confined in the beach. hell, he probably wouldn't have arrived at the beach at all.

нё'₴ GоїиG то dїё ЬёCДц₴ё оf уоц.

your heart dropped at the voice in your head, the image of arisu with a laser through his head plaguing your mind and making you sick to your stomach. no, no no that couldn't be right. he couldn't die like that. you promised yourself you'd protect those you cared about. wasn't arisu apart of that list? didnt you do all of this so he wouldn't die?

"there was no other way." chishiya continued, his words causing you to shout out in frustration at him. 

"so you used him? he was our friend chishiya! he trusted us!" your voice cracked through the syllables, burning your throat as a sob escaped your lips. guilt creeping it's way into your body at the lies you had fed him, even if you hadn't know that you were being dishonest at the time. 

but chishiya did, and that's what hurt the most. 

the blonde sighed, like this conversation was bothersome to him, "and who's fault was that?"

"i didn't know." you tried to protest, not wanting to believe what he was saying. what your inner voice was saying. it couldn't have been your fault right? there was no way you would've done this willingly, not to the people you cared about. 

"you didn't? or did you lie to yourself just to make yourself feel better?" he pressed on, and you hated how much truth those words held. 

"stop it." you mumbled, pressing a palm against your head to stop the dull pain of a headache forming. the pounding in your ears was deafening, and chishiya continuing to speak only made things worse. 

"hatter was a cautious man, you noticed it as well. without arisu, i would've never known where the real location of the safe was." he finally finished.

seething with angry, because what kind of an excuse was that, you pushed yourself up from the ground, taking rushed steps towards him until you were right in front of him. your faces were close to each other and it was so painfully clear how unaffected chishiya was by this, voice steady and calm as his face remained unchanging.

"it's wrong, and you know it." you whispered, voice faltering when he smirked. 

"so what if it is? you knew me best didn't you? weren't you able to predict this?" the mocking tone in his voice only frustrated you even more. 

you took another step forward, surprising him as well as yourself as you gripped the front of his jacket and shook his body. your hands trembled as more tears fell down your cheeks, letting your voice shout out the pain, "people aren't just pawns in your game of chess! they're not toys you can throw out once they're no longer useful to you!"

he remained quiet, not reacting to your hands continuing to shake his body. you grew even more frustrated when he remained calm, shoving him back before taking hold of his sweater once more. 

"people have feelings chishiya! they have a life! who are you to say that they don't deserve something? who are you to say your life means more than theirs? when did you decide that arisu's life meant less-"

"god just fucking shut up!" he shouted back, finally breaking from your constant jabs. 

you paused, breathing heavily and taken aback by his loud tone. chishiya never yelled, and despite how he had remained calm during all of this, you weren't sure which one was more terrifying. 

chest also rising and falling, cracked lips lowering his tone and giving you your answer, "i should've just sent you instead so i wouldn't have to hear you whine all the fucking time."

you stared at him, feeling your heart squeeze tightly inside your chest as a small sound left your throat. you shook your head, looking down for a quick second before glancing back up at him, "you don't mean that."

his face shifted, like for a second he really did regret his words. but that didn't stop him from continuing to twist and turn the knife he had already plunged into your skin, "you're the oh so good detective right? figure it out."

so you did. you looked into those brown eyes pleading with your own that it wasn't true. those late nights of studying where you pretended to sleep just to feel him come up behind you, placing a blanket over your figure as he pressed a soft kiss against your temple. the teasing competitions during tests where you bet on who could get the highest score, letting the winner choose your next spot to eat with the both of you together. the giddy excitement you'd feel when showing up to where he worked, fresh cut fruit and knowing that despite him growing defensive about you being there he still appreciated the thought. when you'd come home and the dorm would be clean, books stacked neatly as that blonde hair lay on your bed, curled up with soft sighs and a face of content. you searched for the sign that these tender moments that brought you deeper in love with this man wasn't fake. 

but the longer you stared the more he seemed unrecognizable. like this truly wasn't the man you fell in love with, "did it all mean nothing? was everything just leading up to this moment?" you paused, whispering the last part of your sentence, "am i really that disposable to you?"

"and what if you are?" he whispered back. 

those memories, the ones you had held so dear to your heart cracked like a broken picture frame, shattering to the ground along with the pieces of your heart, "don't say that..stop saying that you don't care-"

"i told you didn't i? caring will get you killed." he cut you off once more, trying to contradict everything you were saying and everything trying to defend him. 

"your lack of empathy is what's going to kill arisu!" you yelled, shaking his body once more. 

chishiya's jaw tensed, brown eyes boring into your own, "then go help him."

your hands tightened, staring at him confused because of his words, "what?"

"if you care so much then go help arisu. prove it to me." he explained. didn't he just say caring was going to get you killed? was this him telling you to die and prove exactly his point?

"chishiya.." you whispered, only for him to cut you off. 

"it's me or him." he challenged, as if it was an easy choice to make. 

"that's not fair." you murmured, shaking your head slowly as your bottom lip trembled once more. 

"you know what isn't fair? life isn't fair. sometimes you have to make a choice. so who is it going to be? me or your dear friend arisu?" he seethed, lips dripping with venom as you stared down at your hands, not able to look at him properly. 

really it should've been easy. one you knew longer than the other. one you spent countless nights dreaming about, loving with your whole heart and one you risked so much for, things you wouldn't have done otherwise unless it was for them. 

it was a trick question, you knew. if you chose chishiya, you'd only prove to him that he was right. that even if you said you cared it was just a facade, because in the end people only cared about saving themselves right? but if you chose arisu, who knew what would go through chishiya's mind at that decision. 

it was this thought process that made you realize the only possible solution to his challenge. 

your hands went slack against his sweater before you released him, taking a step back. chest tightened as you looked up at the blonde, a distraught expression on your face,   
"i..." you paused, struggling to say the words that you wanted to say, "i love you."

his eyes widened at the weight your words held, the first time they've ever been uttered. for the first time in this argument chishiya's face changed, not just to confusion, but pain as well, "what are you-"

"i love you, so much chishiya. please don't forget that. and please understand, that's why i have to do this." you whispered out, feeling the crack in your voice with each word. of how hard it was to say this. 

"(name)-"

"i'm sorry. i'm sorry but i abandoned arisu once. i cant do it again." you finished, finally looking up into those brown irises. 

you hated leaving chishiya like this. never in the small time that you've known him did you ever think you'd choose someone over him. but if you didn't do this, he would never grow to understand. if you didn't leave him here, he'll never learn to view the world differently than what he perceives it to be, as well as the people inside it. you couldn't let him manipulate you anymore., and he needed to know that. 

so as much as it hurt you, and as much as you could see the realization come across his face upon your choice, you turned away from the man you loved, hugging yourself tightly as the tears never seemed to stop coming. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

you struggled to catch the broken pieces of your heart, slipping out of your hands and dropping towards the floor. fingers trembled and you stuffed them inside your pockets, only to feel your heart drop even further at the feel of candy wrappers and nostalgia, leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. 

it took everything in you not to look back, because you knew if you did you'd run into his arms, forgetting about everything. but you couldn't do that. you had to save arisu, make up for the mistakes and the lies he had believed. you just hoped you'd find chishiya once more, after things had been set right. 

wiping your eyes once last time with the sleeve of your sweater you continued on through the hall, only to pause at the sound of screams and shouts. blinking in confusion you looked towards your right, seeing members of the beach rushing down the halls. much more than usual, and there was no doubt about the sense of urgency and fear present on each persons face. 

quickly you followed them, pushing your hair back and putting your hood up as you maneuvered through the crowd set in the lobby. once more you grew confused, because wasn't everyone supposed to be at their games right now? why were they all still here?

you pushed yourself up to try and spot what everyone in front of you was so preoccupied on, only it was difficult considering the amount of people here with more still to come. frustrated, you laid back on your feet, deciding to go back to finding arisu. with the amount of people here the executives were sure to come down and figure it out, giving you the perfect chance to release him from where he was confined. 

"hey! do you have a phone yet?" you paused and looked up at seeing a male right in front of you, hand extended out with two phones in them. 

your eyes widened, finally putting the dots together. the fact that no one was at their venues, and how everyone was seemingly staring at something in the front of the lobby, and now this man was handing you a phone, used only for games. 

did you just find yourself at a game venue?

"thank you. do you know what happened?" you asked, taking the device from his hands and waiting until it lit up. sure enough there was a message saying to gather in the lobby. 

"a girls dead. it looks like the beach is a game venue now." he quickly explained, turning around and shouting at someone while holding up another phone. he gave you another quick look before going through the crowd to join them, and swiftly you stuffed the device inside your pocket and waited.

while more members rushed into the lobby, you tried to figure out just how long the beach been a game venue. did hatter know, or was it a more recent thing? for one this was a good thing, arisu would already be a player so you didn't have to worry about rushing him to a game. on the other hand who knew what sort of game this would be with this many people. and chishiya..had he left before it began or was he too around the lobby watching?

"momoka!" a scream erupted at the front of the crowd, and very briefly you could see a girl rush towards the ground. ah, so the dead body had been her friend, "momoka..why?"

an echo of rings sounded throughout the otherwise quiet lobby, and you brought your phone out, knowing what that happy chime meant. 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏔᏆᎢᏟᎻ ᎻᏌNᎢ. ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY ᏞᎬᏙᎬᏞ, 10 ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

murmurs could be heard all around you as the screen showed its card, sure enough being the only game that you had been missing and had yet to appear before. how ironic. 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬᏙᏆᏞ ᏔᏆᎢᏟᎻ ᏔᎻᎾ ᎢᎾᎾK ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᏆᎡᏞ'Ꮪ ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏆᏚ ᎻᏆᎠᏆNᏩ ᎪᎷᎾNᏩ YᎾᏌ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᏟᎻ ᎡᎾᏞᎬ ᏆᏚ NᎾᎢ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏔᎾᎷᎬN. 

so it was like your tag game as well as your mafia game. someone forced to play on the other side. pretending to be one of the players. only this time you were on the innocent side, trying to find out who the imposter was. was this how the citizens felt? not knowing who exactly to trust? and to make things more difficult there were so many people here at the beach, where your game only had 14. 

finding the witch would not be an easy task. 

YᎾᏌ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏆF YᎾᏌ FᏆNᎠ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᏟᎻ ᎪNᎠ ᏴᏌᎡN ᎢᎻᎬᎷ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ FᏆᎡᎬ ᎾF ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ.

ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ, ᎢᏔᎾ ᎻᎾᏌᎡᏚ. 

very briefly you could see the waves of heat from outside, through the large windows. how it got there you weren't sure, but you were realizing now that this game, although similar to your mafia one, was much more gruesome. because back then all you had to do was vote, and the collar would do it's job. but here? you'd have to burn the witch yourself, and pray it was the right person. 

"there's a fire burning at the back of the building!" someone shouted, rushing back from the window to project his voice better for everyone to hear. more people began talking amongst themselves at the piece of information, no doubt scared about what was to come. 

quickly you put your phone back into your pocket, ears perking up at the sound of the voice that began to speak, "find the one who murdered momoka, then burn them in the fire of judgement."

it was ann that had spoken, confirming your theories that the executive members were in fact here in the lobby, still proving that now was a good time to go look for arisu. another voice cut in however, one you hated to hear so soon. 

"a witch hunt? this sounds interesting." niragi pushed his way to the front of the crowd, leaning down to whisper something to someone at the front as well before turning around to face everyone, "all right, let's search for the witch!"

at this more shouts erupted, and although you also wanted to begin searching, something didn't feel right about niragi being the one to take control. if anything, he would use force, and chances were his gun as well.

not wanting to get caught in the cross fire you quickly left the room, pushing your hood further down to obscure your face as you rushed down the halls. you didn't know where arisu was being held, but you did know a spot that could as least help. 

you turned the corner, ignoring the faint sounds of gun shots proving your point as you pushed open the door, locking it behind you as you rushed to the display of screens. your eyes scanned over each and every one as quickly as possible, trying to find a sign that arisu was being held in one of them. 

"dammit." you muttered, still not finding him even after you had clicked the mouse to change screens. the executives and militants really must've planned on keeping him hidden, and unfortunately they were doing a good job at it. 

you let out an air of frustration, looking through the papers held on the desk before finding the makeshift map of the beach you had drawn long ago. muttering softly to yourself you took out a pen, trying to eliminate the places he could possibly be.

just think, where would the militants hide him? where was there the most security? quickly you crossed out the some of the hotel buildings, deeming them as a location not bothering to look at with the lack of militants held there. that only left the main building, but where on that floor? just how many rooms would you have to search through in order to find him?

you leaned forward on the desk, pressing a hand up to your forehead and shutting your eyes closed. definitely not the first two floors, too much easy access and that's were the lobby was held. maybe the upper floors? you crossed out the first two, eyes landing on one floor in particular. 

you circled it, dropping your pen as you rummaged through the drawers. if people were getting killed as you searched the least you could do was find a weapon of your own. being dead wouldnt help arisu, and it could also prove useful in the event that you encountered a militant. 

your hands paused at the bottom drawer, seeing dark metal peeking out from under the stack of notebooks hidden in there. cautiously, you removed them, feeling the cool metal of a gun in your hands. it was heavy, and when you checked it had only a couple bullets left. well, it was better than nothing, and a pistol could at least go against their rifles opposed to a knife or nothing at all.

you slammed the drawer close, giving one last look at the monitor before turning around and unlocking the door. you took a deep breath before opening it slowly, peeking out and glancing down both ends of the hallway to make sure no one was around before stepping out and closing it shut behind you, opting to go to the right of the hallway.

you tried to run as quietly as possible, futile attempts to ignore the screams and the rapid fire of shots in the distance. ironic how it didn't take long for things to go south, and how your prediction of the beach falling apart under aguni's control had happened the same day he was crowned. 

as you made it to the second floor of the main building you felt relieved that you had been lucky enough not to run into anybody. most were probably still down at the lobby, or in the other buildings where their rooms resided. militants must've taken note of that fact, and had decided to head there instead of the biggest part of the beach. 

you turned the corner only to step back and lean flat against the wall, heart beating out of your chest at the sound of the gun shooting. looked like your luck had ran out, so quickly too. well, it couldn't be helped, you were bound to run into someone eventually. it just so happened to be a militant.

you swallowed thickly before slowly you peeked over the wall, watching as she kept it raised, meaning someone was at the end of the hall as well. 

sighing you revealed yourself, holding up your own gun and pointing it towards her, "hey! put it down!"

caught by surprise she looked at you, only to smirk at seeing your hands tremble. clicking off the safety you point it towards the ground, feeling your body get pushed back as you shot next to her feet. she grew startled, and only had time to point her gun at you before getting tackled towards the ground, small grunts of pain escaping her lips. 

you clicked the safety back on before rushing to the two individuals, quickly realizing that it was tatta that had attacked the girl. he sits back up, still pinning her towards the ground and raised his fist to punch her. you reached out a hand when he tried to do it a second time, leaning down and kicking her gun away from her before pointing yours at her chest. 

"where is arisu!" he yelled instead, keeping his hands tightened around her shirt. she didn't answer, so you pressed the metal harsher against her skin.

"somewhere on...the fourth floor." she muttered out, confirming your theories from back in the monitor room. 

"you better be telling the truth." tatta muttered darkly, raising his fist once more. 

"she's not lying tatta." you reassured, once more motioning for him to put his hand down. 

he glanced at you, "how can you be so sure?"

you opened your mouth to explain when the girl spoke once more, causing you both to look at her, "i saw niragi coming out of a room."

still breathing heavily he leaned back, finally believing her words and quickly you got to work on tying her hands behind her back with a piece of clothing, making sure she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone no longer. once that was done you pushed yourself back to your feet, seeing tatta take her gun and stare at it. 

you walked over towards the male, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a soft smile, "you don't have to actually kill someone with it. just keep it just incase, to protect our friends."

slowly he nodded, putting it in the waistband of his pants as usagi and another girl came rushing down the hall. your heart hurt at the sight of her, guilty feelings once more plaguing your heart at the things you had put her through. of what you were currently putting her through. 

"usagi." you breathed, taking a slow step towards the girl. she didn't move, and the tears started falling down your cheeks as you sobbed, desperately trying to wipe them away, "i'm sorry. i'm so sorry. this is all my fault. you and arisu trusted me and look what happened."

her lips turned down in a frown, eyes sad but she still took that final step forward, cautiously wrapping her arms around your body, "it's okay. let's just focus on finding him."

you nodded, stepping back when she released you and quickly you dried your face of your remaining tears, "he's on the fourth floor. we can start there."

she nodded, determined look back on her face as she shared at look with tatta and the other girl as well before rushing down the hall. 

your legs burned as you ran with them, lungs struggling for air as you realized that smoke was coming from somewhere in the building. luckily it wasn't too bad so you could manage to breathe without passing out. however you'd have to be quick, because if the building was on fire than that meant there wouldn't be much time left to find your friend before it burned down. 

finally you made it to the fourth floor, and you slowed down as the fire alarm began ringing. the girl who you learned to be named asahi looked around confused, "smoke?"

"what? is there a fire?" tatta asked as well, also glancing around the room. 

"they might be trying to weed everyone out of the building." you muttered bitterly, only to pause when you noticed usagi was listening intently for something, "usagi?"

"i hear someone." asahi muttered, and you strained your ears to listen as well. it was quiet aside from the ringing in your ears, but through that silence you could hear faint bangs and a muffled voice through the hall. 

a voice that sounded exactly like arisu. 

you all nodded at each other in mutual agreement as you split up, rushing through the halls and trying to find the source of the sound. while you opened doors leading to empty rooms you tried to also focus on the game itself, one glance at your phone telling you that not much time was left. so even if you did find arisu, the celebration would be short lived.

who could the witch be? this was a hearts game, and a ten of hearts at that, so what situation would hurt the members of the beach the most? what type of betrayal would have everyone's minds reeling and realize that they had been played?

one thought came into mind, one that was bizarre and laughable, that it had to be the solution. it had to be what the game masters wanted to achieve. before you could dwell on it for long however a shout was heard further down the hall, and you realized it was usagi saying she had found arisu.

you closed the door you had opened to follow her voice, rushing down the hall and finding her in front of one of the rooms. her hands were clasped over the door knob but it wouldn't budge no matter how much she tugged on it. 

you stepped forward to use your gun only to stop and turn at the sound of footsteps, seeing a group of militants also on this floor. they spotted you, and you ducked out of the way when they pointed their guns and bullets hit the wood. you rushed towards asahi, gripping her arm and tugging her along to follow you down the hall. tatta followed close behind and you threw a quick look back only to realize that usagi wasn't behind you nor neither were the militants. both must've followed after the girl, into a room with no way out. you stopped, and tatta gave a quick look back before realizing what you had just noticed. 

"come on!" you shouted, tugging asahi along once more and rushing to go help your friend as you stared at tatta's figure running in front of you. 

by the time you made it to the room usagi was no where to be seen, only the militants peeking outside the window and making you realize that she must've climbed out. tatta rushed forward to pull one of them back, and you brought a finger to your lips to quiet asahi as you did the same, fabric clutched in your hands as you fell back with the force of your pull. quickly you got up once he was on the ground, breathing heavily as tatta did the same. 

your eyes widened when one moved to get up, and in the blink of an eye tatta had brought out a chair, slamming it over their head and causing the militant to fall back against the dresser and then the ground. 

"i did it." he breathed out, glancing up to look at you before his eyes settled on something behind. you turned to see the other militant struggling to get up, with asahi right behind him.

"i cant do this anymore." she mumbled, face frightened but also with pent up anger as she reached for the vase on the dresser, shattering it over his head with a scream. 

you watched as he slumped towards the ground, and quickly you brought out your gun, pointing it towards him as you nudged his body with your foot. he didn't move, and you relaxed ever so slightly at that fact. 

you glanced over at the window, walking over and peering out. usagi was nowhere to be seen, meaning she must've successfully gotten away and was heading towards arisu's room at that moment. 

you turned back to face the two in the room, features still in shock over the militants bodies limp on the ground. although the sight bothered you as well, now wasn't the time to dwell on it, not with the game coming to an end very soon and the smoke still coming from somewhere in the building. cautiously you stepped over them before motioning with your head for the pair to join you out the door, "arisu is waiting for us."

quickly they shook off their fear, nodding and following you out the door. once you had found the room, bullet holes on the wood from earlier, you told them to step back before using the gun to break off the handle, it successfully dropping to the floor. swiftly you pushed open the door, seeing usagi already there and holding arisu in her arms.

all three of you stepped in, the only light coming from the broken window with glass on the floor and from the hall. a chair where he was most likely confined to lay on the floor, and you noticed the duct tape hanging from his mouth and still covering his eyes. your heart broke at the sight, and you dropped to your knees right beside him, tears rushing down your face. 

"arisu..." you croaked out. usagi lets go of him, taking off the tape from his eyes and he blinked in confusion, looking at her before shifting his gaze towards you, surprise evident on his features. 

"(name)." he breathed, also looking up at the sight of tatta and asahi, "what are you guys-"

"i'm sorry! i'm sorry for what happened! this is all my fault and i..i don't expect for you to forgive me." your words came out rushed as you bowed your head in shame, droplets of water staining the carpet and your hands. 

"it's okay. you didn't know." his voice was gentle as he spoke, and quickly you looked back up, shaking your head in objection.

"but if i had! if i had noticed it before-"

"but you're here now. you helped me and you protected usagi. for that i'm grateful." he cut you off, soft smile on his lips. 

your bottom lip trembled as another wave of guilt washed your body, "i don't deserve it.."

he placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, before glancing around the room as if realizing something was missing, "where's chishiya?"

a sharp pain when through your heart at the reminder of the blonde's absence, and the fact that despite everything, arisu still looked concerned for him, "he..i don't know."

his smile faltered for a second, eyes apologetic as he realized that whatever had gone done between you two hadn't ended on a good note. and for that he would be correct. 

he glanced between you and usagi, "can you help me up?"

"yeah." you along with the female got to work on ripping the remaining duct tape from his hands and feet until finally he could properly sit on the ground. together, you helped him stand up, distributing his body weight between you two before leaving the room and going to a nearby one that was empty. you struggled under the burden as usagi pushed open the door, bringing him over to the bed and faintly you could hear tatta and asahi rush in as well, tatta wasting no time before dashing forward and embracing him in a hug.

"i'm so glad," he smiled in relief before releasing him, hands gripping his shoulders as he fully took the sight of him in, "you're safe."

arisu smiled at him, giving a small nod in gratitude, "thanks."

he sat down on the edge of the bed, glancing up when usagi began to speak, "i hate to break this to you now, but we have thirty minutes left."

everyone's faces turned grim at the reminder that you were indeed still in a game, and struggling to clear it. you took a step forward and handed arisu your phone, screen bright and displaying the countdown. 

he gave it a quick glance before looking up at you, "just explain the rules to me."

you nodded, stepping back and leaning against the dresser as you folded your arms across your chest, ready to recount the events you had heard down at the main room, "a girl named momoka died down at the lobby, and the game explained that the 'witch' hiding amongst us is the one who did it. if we find them within the two hour time limit and burn them in the fire of judgment than it's game clear. and if not well," you laughed bitterly, "i'm sure you know how that goes."

arisu sighed heavily at your words, placing your phone down on the bed right beside him, "this is seriously the worst rule ever."

"tell me about it." you agreed. 

"but just like those taggers from our tag game, who were made to participate in the game with rules of their own. i'm sure it's the same this time. the witch has to kill the girl to start the game and survive until the end of the time limit. its just like your first game as well, right?" he confirmed. 

you nodded, "i'm getting flashbacks all over again." you joked, arisu giving a weak smile in response. quickly you cleared your throat, going back to the serious topic at hand, "but i understand what you're saying. in this case the witch will clear the game if everyone here gets a game over, along with a laser through their head."

"just who could be the witch?" tatta muttered, still pacing the room back and forward anxiously.

"if i were the witch, i would join the others in the hunting since it'll be game over if i'm caught." usagi mumbled, taking a step closer so she stood right beside arisu. 

"that's too easy," you were quick to contradict her statement, and she gave you a curious glance. you sent her an apologetic smile before continuing to speak your thought process out loud, "eventually the hunters will realize that the witch would be among them, and those fire happy individuals will just turn against each other."

"they're right, it doesn't seem like the purpose of the game." arisu agreed, reaching up and scratching at his head while in deep thought. 

"the purpose of the game?" usagi asked, confused.

"heart games are designed to mess with everyone. in the end it wasn't the people who died who were the fool, but you the surviving player. you realize that there was another way, death just got rid of that painfully obvious logic." you quickly explained, giving arisu a quick look when he too spoke up as well. 

"heart games are utterly wicked, toying with other people's feelings." he finished, also knowing way too well the purpose of those games. 

"so what would mess with everyone the most arisu?" you asked.

he laughed, sound soft, "you say it like you know who the witch is."

you sighed, looking away, "i have an idea. i wasn't sure before but now that i can properly think about it it's the only plausible explanation. the ultimate way to play everyone a fool."

"then..who is it?" asahi asked, and you turned to look at her. 

you smiled, "why, it's the victim itself. your dear friend momoka."

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ncjda please don’t hate me too much. but special thanks to kokodzuken on wattpad for helping me break hearts :)))


	20. ⌈ 19 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . . 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

everyone reacted to certain situations differently. whether it be their mannerisms, words or just the look in their eyes, any small shift in their body language could tell you a lot about what that person was currently thinking. and the facial expressions of each individual at realizing the meaning behind your words was what you focused on at that moment. 

usagi and tatta were of course confused, brows drawn together and giving you a curious glance. you could tell the gears in their head were turning to try and make sense of the situation. because how could the witch be the dead girl on the floor? what was the purpose of that? the tagger in your spades game would've gotten a game clear had they survived, but how could momoka claim anything when she was already deceased? 

arisu on the other hand, the only other person who had played a heart game before and understood the concept of the psychological type widened his eyes in realization, finally seeing everything, all the clues presented before him click together inside his brain. understanding how this could really be the only possible solution to the game. 

and asahi, her expression was probably the most peculiar. she was shocked, but not in the way that said she didn't believe it. no, you could tell she believed every word that you had said. instead she was shocked that you had figured it out, so quickly too, meaning asahi must've known about momoka's cause of death from the start. 

you narrowed your eyes at her, trying to understand why. why she hadn't said anything if she knew since the beginning. it didn't make sense, in the small time that you've known her you could tell that she clearly had good intentions, she had been genuine about wanting to save arisu after all, but why was she protecting her? sure they had been friends, but these were the lives of so many people at stake. did she know the game masters as well, and wanted to help but couldn't?

what was stopping her?

"momoka? are you saying it was a suicide?" usagi broke you out of your thoughts, trying to make sense as to what you were indicating, "but why would she-"

why would she kill herself for a game?

"no, they're right," arisu agreed with you, giving you a quick glance before looking at usagi, "it makes the most sense. everyone would overlook it since they'd automatically assume the witch is alive and actively participating in the game. plus, if i were the game master, i would do exactly this."

you hummed in agreement, looking down and focusing on a spot of carpet on the floor, "the more people being killed, the more everyone grows panicked trying to find the real witch. when you are panicking all rational thoughts leave and the only thing you're thinking about is surviving. it would mean absolute victory for whoever created the game in the first place." 

your eyes widened a fraction as you finished your sentence, realizing something important. if asahi and momoka were friends, and she hadn't said anything about knowing momoka was the witch, did that mean asahi was the game master, and they had been working together?

had you just befriended the creator of this game?

"if momoka is the witch..she started the game," arisu continued, once more bringing you out of your thoughts, "she probably also took this time to start the game because everyone is in disarray with hatter being dead. there's no order, so working in a group was out of the question." 

"she had been a member of the beach..was she watching us the entire time?" usagi asked, still in disbelief with the fact that momoka had been apart of the game masters. she had been a sweet girl after all, no one would've been able to predict it. 

which was probably exactly why they did it. 

"asahi, you must be shocked about this." arisu murmured, a sympathetic look in his gaze.

she jumped at the sound of her name, eyes darting around the room as she twisted her fingers around in her grasp, "i.."

"let's give asahi some time," you cut in, saving the girl the conversation that would most likely insure. despite her being apart of the creation of this game, something was telling you that there was more to it than just that. you turned to arisu, nodding your head towards your phone, "how much time is left until the game is over?"

his eyes widened, reaching over and picking up the device left on the bed. the white screen lit up his features, and he swallowed thickly before turning back towards you, "30 minutes."

"shit," tatta cursed, glancing around at everyone, "then what are we waiting for? let's go down, tell everyone, and get this game over with."

you sent a quick glance to asahi, whose facial expression seemed conflicted. perhaps because there was the idea that she was a game master, trying to decide whether she should help her friends or win this game. or maybe the thought of burning momoka, someone she had been close to, made her feel sick. and although you felt bad about using her body to clear the game as well, she was already dead. you had to do this so you could get this over with and save the rest of the beach.

you just hoped asahi realized that fact too.

you sighed, pushing yourself up from the dresser, "let's just hope the militants arent down there or are willing to listen." no doubt they were still killing people as you speak, and the chances of them down by the lobby were high. 

"if they are then i'll help fight them off. one of us has to get her body to the fire of judgement." usagi muttered, clearly determined. and knowing her, she would do just as she said. 

you hummed softly in agreement, standing besides the brunette, "arisu, are you okay to walk?"

he smiled, waving you off as he pushed himself up to stand, "don't worry too much about me. i don't want anymore people to die. let's hurry."

you smiled, giving everyone in the room a quick glance, "let's end this witch hunt."

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

black smoke fogged your vision as you grunted in discomfort, feeling it enter your lungs and make each breath you took sting. and the fire, although you couldn't see it, you could feel the sweltering heat, encasing your body and making it sticky with sweat. arisu huffed from right beside you, leaning his body weight on you as usagi helped on his other side, same grunts of discomfort leaving her lips. 

you yelped as you almost missed a step coming down the stairs, feeling your body sway as you struggled to maintain your balance. luckily tatta was there to steady you, the cool metal of his gun touching your skin and bringing the smallest hint of relief from the heat. 

faintly you could hear him ask if you were okay and you nodded, shifting the weight of arisu's arm over your shoulder before nodding with usagi to continue, each step closer to the lobby churning your stomach further and further. you could practically feel your heart drop at the sound of shouts and gunshots, coming directly from where you were heading. 

"we have to hurry!" usagi yelled, and you nodded in response, quickening your pace despite how sore your muscles were and how hard you were breathing. you really wished you had worked on your stamina more often, hating how each breath was difficult to catch and made your heart pound in your ears.

finally the room came into view, and you could see the crowd of people watching intently as something, a scene, unfolded in the center. you heard a voice shout for someone to shoot them, and your heart rate as well as arisu's spiked up at the words. 

"stop it already!" he yelled, causing several heads to turn and look at you all. you slowed down your pace as the crowd dispersed, letting you view exactly what was happening. 

aguni, as well as several of the other militants stood in the center of the room, guns drawn and pointed towards not only the crowd of innocent bystanders but someone kneeled on the ground, one of their own based on the attire that he wore. 

the five of you made it to the front of the crowd, with tatta giving everyone a quick glance, "let's end this game."

"i..." arisu huffs out, still out of breath from having to exert his body to come down there, removing himself from you and usagi's grasp and taking a step forward, "was confined by you guys the entire time even when the murder occurred. i'm sure you know i couldn't have been the witch," he paused, waiting to see if aguni would say anything but he didn't, letting him continue his small speech, "if you aren't the witch, then there's no need to kill me. please cooperate with me and search for the witch."

you waited, heart racing to see what aguni would say. you decided that since arisu was the only one with an alibi he would do all the talking, giving the highest chance of success of getting aguni to listen. he stayed silent however, taking slow agonizing steps forward as the smallest hint of a smile painted his lips. you felt a bad feeling stir at the expression, and your gut was proven right when he quickly raised his gun, swinging it against arisu's face.

the male grunted out in pain, falling to the floor as a result of the force. usagi, as well as several other members gasped at the sudden display of violence, and your stomach churned at the sight of blood now present on his face. 

"arisu!" she screamed, in shock as aguni once again took out whatever pent up anger he had by kicking arisu across the floor.

usagi rushed forward as the militant took another step forward, trying to the best of her ability to push him back and to prevent him from hurting arisu any further, "stop it!"

aguni didn't care however, taking her by the arms and throwing her towards the ground. at the sight of how carelessly he had thrown her you could feel the flames of anger swell in your chest, moving to crouch down in front of arisu and shield him despite how you knew it was a bad idea.

"aguni please listen! the witch, we can end this-" your pleas fell on deaf ears as aguni shoved you towards the side, a small groan of pain escaping your lips at the force in which he had done it.

you blinked through the tears of pain as you saw aguni pick arisu up by his white shirt. your voice caught in your throat as you swiftly glanced back to make sure usagi was okay, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she gave you a quick glance as well before breathing out her words, "now i know," she said quickly, causing aguni to pause, "why you attacked arisu, even though he's the only one with an alibi! that's because you're the witch!"

"you want us to say what?" usagi asked, incredulous tone of voice as she widened her eyes. 

you sighed, putting the last of your bullets into tatta's gun before handing it to him, "if the militants really are down there, which is most likely, a lot of them may be under immense pressure from killing so many people. i'm not sure if aguni will listen, but if we can somehow get the militants to believe that he's the witch for just a moment, maybe we can eliminate that threat."

"you want to kill aguni?" she asked again, trying to confirm and understand what you were trying to say. 

you shook your head softly, "not kill. just make them lose their faith in him. he won't have anyone to back him up, so he can't do much when we do explain ourselves."

"but who is to say that they'll believe us?" tatta asked, also unsure about your course of action. 

you laughed, bitter and leaving a bad taste in your mouth, "the funny thing about humans is that they'll believe anything other than what they don't. a lot of them look up and even respect aguni. if we present to them the idea of him being the witch, most will not want to believe it. so if we give them a better option, like someone already dead, they'll take that over their precious leader."

it was a gamble yes, but one you were willing to take. 

aguni seemed angry at the accusation, once more swinging his gun against arisu's face and causing him to fall back towards the ground by usagi's feet. she called out his name in concern, wrapping her arms around him to perhaps shield the male and make sure he was okay. 

she looked back at aguni, breathing heavily as arisu groaned in pain from right beside her. you shakily pushed yourself up from the ground, cautious as to not alert him of your movement as you joined tatta in the crowd. 

"he's even scarier up close." he muttered, and you almost laughed at how true that was. 

"you.." one of the bystanders spoke up, everyone looking at the source of the sudden sound, "are you the witch?"

the silence, it was heavy as everyone waited for aguni to say something, anything to either contradict or agree with his question. even the militants, just as you had expected, listened intently, faces disbelieving but wavering ever so slightly. 

"yes. i'm the witch." aguni stated firmly, and your eyes widened at his words. you hadn't expected him to agree, because very obviously he was lying. but why? what did he have to gain by saying he was the witch? he'd die along with everyone else if they believed him. 

unless that was exactly what he wanted. 

everyone backed away at his announcement, fear written on their faces as the militants shakily raised their guns towards him. aguni seemed unfazed however, even taking several steps towards them as if challenging them to actually do it. to actually shoot their leader. 

"shoot me." he muttered lowly, never once breaking eye contact. when he didn't do as he demanded he raised his voice, causing you to flinch at the sudden volume ringing in your ears, "do it!"

no one did however, despite the amount of guns pointed at his figure. whether they were scared, or truly didn't want to believe it just as you had said, you didn't know. maybe it was both. 

one militant glanced around at his comrades, voice shaking as he yelled, "shoot him!"

you shared a glance with arisu, nodding for him to continue on to the next part of the plan. now was the perfect time to present them this second idea. he quickly nodded in understanding, cutting through the previous individuals words, "aguni is not the witch!"

everyone stopped, turning to look down at the male with blood dripping down his face and struggling to even sit up. but he got their attention, and that was enough. 

"this is a ten of hearts game! a game that toys with peoples feelings! it's not a game where you win by killing aguni!" he exclaimed, chest continuing to rise and fall and making small attempts to regain his composure. 

said male slowly turned around, staring at arisu with a stoic expression painted onto his features. quickly you stepped forward and crouched down with arisu, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and urging for him to continue, no matter how much he wanted to cower under the gaze. 

arisu swallowed thickly, gasping out another breath before continuing, "you're not the witch. so why? that's because you have another motive." 

usagi leaned in closer, confused since this had not been discussed earlier, "another motive?"

but you knew what arisu was talking about. you had mentioned it briefly before, wondering why aguni had taken accountability even though he didn't gain anything from it. that was, unless death was what he was seeking for. 

"the one you killed was not momoka. it was hatter." he finished. 

your eyes widened at his words, breath catching in your throat as you quickly looked at aguni. and sure enough, he seemed angry, proving that arisu's words were correct. and suddenly it all made sense. the blank stare aguni had when hatter had been proclaimed dead, as if in deep thought. the real reason why he had lied about his whereabouts. and finally why he was assuming the role of the witch. 

he had killed the previous king of the beach, and figured only death in a game could help pay for his actions.

murmurs sounded throughout the room at the piece of information, trying to make sense of the truth. arisu spoke up once more, to continue to explain his thought process, "i found out after i saw your eyes. it was as if you had given up all hope. your eyes, it was the same as mine that day. those eyes after i killed my friends."

the eyes you had after killing kiyoko. 

"you're not dumb. yet you wanted to kill everyone right from the start. that's not like you!" slowly he pushed himself up from the ground and you and usagi joined him as well, "you must have had another motive in mind. ever since i came to the beach, i thought it was strange. if you had these many firearms, the militants would've gained control over the beach a long time ago. yet that didn't happen until now. in reality, you were not in conflict with hatter at all. didn't you both actually help each other? you wanted to make sure that dangerous people like niragi didn't go on a rampage. you tried to hold them back."

every word spoken was true. hatter and aguni had to have been friends before, a deep relationship could be the only reason a man like him ever listened to hatter. but something changed ever since the cards were revealed to help bring people back to the real world, a strain that caused whatever happened at their game to occur. you weren't sure what it was, but it had to have been something tremendous if it meant aguni had no choice but to kill hatter with his own gun. 

arisu stumbled forward towards the militant, usagi reaching out to stop him but you put her hand down, shaking your head. arisu was smart. whatever he was doing was for good reason.

"you.." he let loose a small and bitter laugh, almost angry at the situation, "weren't you and hatter best friends in reality? then, why did you kill him?"

your heart squeezed tightly in your chest, hands reaching up to grasp at your sweater as you waited. for the reason aguni killed the person closest to him. but would he really answer? would he really explain himself? 

"for some reason, you couldn't forgive hatter for what he did. you wanted to stop hatter and his crazy ways. you wanted your best friend to regain his senses." 

oh, that was right. the blood stained card from when hatter announced the third rule of the beach at your executive meeting. had that been what it was? hatter had killed them, punishment for defying him and that was when he began to lose himself? you wondered, did aguni try to stop him then? was that the cause of the rift between those two that you had been so curious about? 

had aguni finally grown tired of it during his last day in the borderlands?

aguni finally looked up at arisu, voice breaking as he spoke, "what would you know?" swiftly he reached forward and grabbed arisu's shirt, shaking him slightly in his grasp before punching him in the face, continuing to do so without break. 

a flash of blue and you realized tatta had thrown himself at the male, trying to get him to stop and you and usagi rushed to help as well, using all your strength to pull him back away from hurting arisu. your attempts were futile however as he continued to throw blow after blow against his back, until finally throwing tatta towards the side and reaching back for you and usagi, throwing the girl towards the ground and doing the same to you. 

your body hit hers as you let out a low groan of pain, head spinning. you pushed yourself up, quickly apologizing to the girl to which she nodded. by now aguni had gotten to arisu, picking him up from the ground by the collar of his shirt with both males breathing heavily. 

"what would you..." aguni paused, as if remembering something and the solemn look that came across his face indicated that it was not a happy memory. 

"i was also someone who killed my friends. i understand the pain in your eyes. you killed your friend. and so you wanted to kill everyone at the beach, because they were the ones who made your friend go crazy." arisu breathed out, slight discomfort written on his features. 

ah, so he wanted revenge. for the people who disobeyed hatter to pay for what they had done. to realize the mental strain they had put on him for so long as the leader of the beach. 

arisu continued to speak, "your broken feelings, the game master made use of them. that's why this is a hearts game-"

"shut up!" aguni broke, throwing him towards the crowd who backed away as a result. usagi and tatta rushed over to where he lay, and you looked up at aguni with a pleading look in your eyes. 

"killing everyone at the beach isn't going to do anything," you yelled, trying to get him to stop and listen, "hatter made this so people could live, have hope. by killing them you're taking that away-"

"quiet!" he turned around, standing right in front of you and you tried your best not to falter under the gaze, despite how your hands trembled by your side.

"if that's true, then aguni just wanted to kill everyone regardless of the game?" someone asked.

"you're joking.." another murmured.

this time a militant spoke, guilt coming across his features, "and we went along with that?" 

"then who is the real witch?" another asked, unsure now that it was revealed to not be aguni.

"i know..the identity of the real witch," arisu began, weakly pushing himself up to look back at everyone in the room, "you can always see the game master's characteristics in a game. in a hearts game, it always makes a fool out of everyone. maybe..there really was a way to end the game without killing everyone. a solution where no one has to die."

"but..that's impossible." a girl spoke, looking up when you contradicted her statement. 

"its not if you take the time to think logically about things and think outside the box. a loophole in the game." you muttered, remembering your second heart game, one where no one had to die but some players still did.

she looked at you, lips trembling, "how? we have to hunt down the witch and burn them in the fire of judgement, right? how could we do that without killing anyone?"

"who said the witch wasnt already dead?" you were quick to respond. 

her eyes widened, but still she didnt quite believe you, "what? but we would know. the game-"

"there's a witch canidiate that makes it possible," slowly arisu lifted his hand to point at the floor, where momoka's body lay on the ground, "it is possible if the witch is momoka herself." 

everyone directed their attention to the girl, whispers bouncing off the walls and into your ears. 

one of the members raised their voice so you could clearly hear their thoughts, "momoka struck the knife into herself?" 

"yes. if i were the game master, i would come up with this idea." arisu confirmed, only to grunt out when aguni kicked him to the floor. 

"what a joke. i'm the witch!" he began walking around the room, everyone backing away at the sight of his gaze on them, "you guys want to kill me, right?"

he rushed towards some of the militants, grabbing onto them and people screamed as he tried to take the gun. players rushed to stop him, bodies getting thrown towards the ground and quickly you rushed towards arisu, helping him stand up. 

"aguni is trying to take everyone down with him!" arisu yelled, eyes widened in fear. 

you watched as more people grabbed onto him, jumping onto his back and locking their arms around his waist. veins popped out of his forehead at the strain of trying to get them off, but the pain, clear distraught as tears rolled down his face made your heart squeeze tightly inside your chest. 

"i don't think aguni really wants to do this..." you mumbled softly. 

a scream, heart wrenching as it escaped his throat overpowered the other sounds of the room, "the beach made him crazy. you guys made him crazy. i'm the witch!"

you tore your eyes away from the scene when asahi appeared right beside you all, brows drawn together with a determined look in her eyes, "i know how to stop aguni!," she gave a quick look to said man before returning back to you, "i'll get aguni's attention. use the chance to burn momoka in the fire of judgement! 

your own confusion was etched onto your face, not quite understanding. what was she planning on doing? was this apart of your theory earlier, where she knew about the game all along and would hopefully distract him with that information? but then what?

she looked down at you and the brunette, "arisu. (name). end this meaningless massacre."

she moved to stand up and quickly you grasped onto her arm, searching her eyes for anything, an explanation to what she was going to do. but this girl, she looked like she was ready to die, and that thought scared you. but her determination, she was trying to stop what she had started. you couldn't take that away from her. 

you tightened your grasp, voice trembling, "be careful." 

she stared for a moment before nodding, standing up and rushing to the center of the room. usagi cried out her name, eyes worried about her safety. 

"listen up everyone!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, successfully grasping everyone's attention, "i'm the dealer of this game!"

your eyes widened, shocked that you had been right. that this girl, so sweet and kind had put together this witch hunt, one full of pain and suffering. but that wasn't the only surprising thing to happen, because soon after a bright red laser pierced through her forehead, everyone flinching at the sight as her body slowly slumped towards the ground. 

a small sound escaped your throat, hands reaching up to cover your mouth. it was silent, everyone in shock at the meaning behind her words. but asahi was right, it had stopped aguni's rampage. 

"it was a reverse grip!" a voice echoed from afar, and you tore your eyes away from the body to search for it. your heart skipped a beat at the sight of not only ann, who's voice you had recognized but kuina as well, still alive and well besides the small limp in both their steps. ann raised her hand up to show a knife, the one that had been in momoka's body, "fingerprints with a reverse grip were found on the knife. this means momoka grabbed the knife herself and stabbed it through her own chest. she's the witch."

"why would she kill her self for a game?" one player asked, finally believing it now that there was solid evidence to prove it.

"was momoka really the game master?" another asked. 

one lifted their hand to point at asahi's body, "that girl also said she's a dealer. so were we just being toyed with by them?"

"asahi and momoka had good reason," you spoke, words rushed to try and defend them, "i think..dealers are players just like us."

"yeah! she's human, just like the rest of us. ordinary humans." tatta agreed. 

"the two of them..they might have been controlled by someone else too." usagi murmured, understanding what they were going through all too well. 

"aguni," arisu once again broke the stunned silence, slowly pushing himself up onto his feet, "let's just stop this. don't let the deaths of the innocent go to waste. i understand how it feels to kill your friends. but we shouldn't take out frustration out on those who are still alive! we are still alive! we're all facing death head-on and fighting until the very end! don't look down on those who are still alive!"

you nodded, taking a small step closer, "he's right. this game..we've lost a lot of people. but let's end the death here! let's save the rest of the beach!"

aguni looked away, thinking over his words and you waited with a beating heart for what he had to say. for the most part your small plan had worked, even with his small speech about what he had done to hatter. 

"the fire is spreading!" someone yelled, and you turned to see that sure enough the red flames had grown closer than before. and it was now that you could feel the temperature rising, making you uncomfortable with the heat. quickly you reached down and helped usagi up onto her feet to back away, people screaming as they too tried to move away from the fire. 

"move the body to the fire of judgement!" usagi yelled, hands clutching onto the sleeve of your sweater. 

"hurry up!" this time it was kuina's voice, urging everyone to waste no time. 

two males rushed to the girls body, moving their arms to pick her up only to slump to the ground, a product of the gunshots that had ricocheted throughout the room. you jumped back at the sound, crouching down low towards the ground and putting your arms up to shield yourself.

when no more shots were heard you picked your head up, glancing around the room to try and see who had done it. you saw usagi, eyes set on something and you followed her gaze, eyes widening at the sight of a figure stumbling through the hall with their face obscured by a shirt and a stick lit up with fire in one of their hands, gun in the other. 

"in the first place, i should have just burned down the beach with the fire of judgement!" your heart stopped at the voice, recognizing it as niragi. but as his body came into view, lit up by the flames you realized something bad had happened to him. burnt skin and black soot staining it. either he had willingly thrown himself into flames, or someone had set him on fire. blonde hair entered your mind, and you realized that if it really was the latter, he had gotten his payback for what he had done. 

everyone else realized who it was as well, and usagi furrowed her brows in confusion at the sight. 

"with this, i'll clear the game!" he yelled, throwing the stick of fire towards the center of the room. people backed away as to not get burned, but niragi, well he took full advantage of the scurry of movement, clicking the trigger of his gun as if it would be his last time using it. 

very briefly with the deafening sounds of gunshots you saw kuina and ann back away, making your body relax knowing that they'd be safe. you got up, pushing usagi to go while you stumbled after her, looking back every so often to make sure niragi's attention was elsewhere. you coughed as you stumbled over dead bodies, trying to ignore the screams each time someone was the unlucky target. it was truly a sad thing to hear, but your upmost priority was usagi and her safety. 

she stopped however, and you gave her a pleading look to tell her to keep going. she didn't, glancing back at the trigger happy male, "niragi is going to kill more people like this. we have to stop him."

you swallowed thickly, turning back to see he was indeed still on his rampage. you weren't exactly sure what usagi planned to do exactly, but you nodded, trusting her to do what was right. 

she sprinted across the room, around until she was behind him and that was when she jumped, latching onto his back. quickly you took this chance to follow after her, seeing arisu take his arm to try and stop the gun from moving. your hands reached out to take it away, only to stop when arisu was shoved towards the ground, niragi reaching back and flinging usagi towards him shortly after. you shook off the shock however, putting your hands on the gun and pointing it upwards. 

his eyes met yours, striking fear inside your heart as he smiled, kicking you back with a force that made you cry out in pain. your back hit the ground and you gasped, trying to catch your breath as you looked up. he was standing over you, gun pointed towards you as he breathed heavily. 

"ha..your boyfriend payed me a little visit earlier. look what he did to me. i really hope he's watching right now so he can watch me kill you." he muttered darkly, and your eyes widened as you tried to back away. he laughed at your attempt, pressing his foot against your chest and pressing down, "trying to run away?! ha! i'll kill you right now!"

"(name)!"

you gasped at feeling a sharp pain in your side, burning your insides. but it was gone as quick as it had been there when you instead focused on the fact that aguni had appeared, grabbing niragi and pushing him down the hall. you waited until they disappeared with gun shots and his shout before you laid back flat on the ground, arm across your stomach as you felt the bleeding. it was small, so it only grazed you, and that made your breathe a little easier. 

ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏞᎬFᎢ

"there's no time!" kuina's voice cut through the shock, and all around you could hear the movement of people picking themselves up from the floor and rushing to get momoka's body. eventually though their voices disappeared, and suddenly you were all alone in the burning building.

you don't know why you didn't move. maybe because your side hurt, the burning feeling back and you didn't feel like getting up to make it worst. maybe it was the fact that the smoke, thick as it entered your lungs was slowly killing you, breath hard to come by as you lay there on the ground. either way, you didn't move, not even when arisu entered your vision, who struggled but leaned down towards you nonetheless. 

you shook your head when his hands went to pull you up, using your free hand to push him away, "go find usagi."

he furrowed his brows at you in confusion, "but-"

"i'm fine. besides, i don't think in the state that you're in you could take me back. you don't owe me anything, and i've already repayed you. i'll come out soon." you reassured, voice gentle until it got through to him. 

he seemed conflicted before he nodded, stumbling as he stood back up, "okay."

his footsteps were eventually just a background noise as you waited, swallowing thickly as weak coughs left your body. your skin was sticky with sweat as you could hear the rumble of the beaches structure collapse, flames eating away at everything hatter had created. 

your mind grew hazy as you felt like passing out, the smoke burning your eyes and intoxicating your lungs making your body shut down. it was so bad that eventually when a new figure came into view you couldn't even recognize it, blurred with the tears in your eyes. they crouched down low, warm fingers pressing against your pulse point and you sighed against the touch, familiar but still not able to place it. your moment of peace was quickly disrupted however when their arms picked you up, hoisting your body over their back as you groaned out in pain. they didn't comment however, just taking slow steps away from the burning heat and although you wanted to protest, wanted to tell them to just let you die there you didn't. because you knew, you still had to find chishiya. you still had to apologize and make things right.

you buried your face further into the strangers shoulder, feeling their hair lightly tickle your skin. as you breathed you realized they smelt like fire, probably because they had been present in it for so long. but their warmth, it was different from the one of the flames, scorching and relentless. this one, it was comforting, and you were grateful for the feeling as you slowly lulled to sleep. 

⋯⋯ ♠️♦️♣️♥️ ⋯⋯ 

the warmth wasn't there when you woke up shortly after. 

you did however, feel kuina's hand shaking your shoulders, voice slowly becoming clearer the more you snapped out of your dizzy state. her eyes widened as you opened your eyes before letting out a sigh of relief, bringing you forward and hugging you close to her body. 

"you're okay," she mumbled, voice low and quiet, "we thought..i thought-"

you reached up and returned the embrace, "i'm okay."

she tightened her hold on you before she pulled away, her relived expression quickly turning to anger as she glared at you and pinched your arm, causing you to yelp out in pain. 

"what the hell were you thinking? arisu told me that you were just laying there and saying you'd come out later. you know how long we waited until we finally found you here?" she scolded, small tears welling up in her eyes out of frustration. you frowned, feeling guilty until you finally comprehended what she had said. 

"here? what-" you glanced around, finally realizing that you were near the river, and in the distance lay the beach, still burning. 

"seriously, at least you had time to patch up your wound before passing out." she muttered, pushing her hair back and away from her face. 

"oh. that." you looked down and lifted up your sweater, sure enough seeing that the bullet graze had been patched up. it confused you though, because you didn't remember doing so. you didn't even remember leaving the beach in the first place. 

so how did you end up here? 

"the other surviving players made a campsite in the meantime. come on, let's get you over there so you can drink something." kuina broke you out of your thoughts, face very clearly showing how worried she was about your well-being. 

you nodded, letting her help you get up onto your feet. luckily the graze was only sore, so as long as you didn't overexert yourself it would heal within a couple days. 

you walked with her back to a flat road with cars and tents, a small campfire burning in the middle as people stood and sat around it. at the sight of you usagi, arisu and even tatta rushed towards your side, the girl embracing you in a hug. 

"i'm sorry! i thought you were right behind me. but then arisu told me and-" her words came out rushed, but you quickly patted her back and leaned away from the hug. 

"it's fine. i'm all okay see? don't worry about it." you reassured her, giving a soft smile to prove that it was true. 

"i really shouldn't have left you." arisu mumbled, still feeling guilty. but he couldn't have been able to help you, not in the state he had been in. 

"arisu, seriously. you barely got yourself out. i'm surprised you can still walk with the amount of times aguni hit you. speaking of which, is he here?" you asked, remembering how the militant had run into burning fire. 

"aguni nor niragi have come out. either they're still inside or.." tatta had been the one to answer your question, voice trailing off as he didn't want to admit to them being dead. 

"right. then.." you paused, already anxious about the next question you were about to ask, "is chishiya here?"

arisu and usagi didn't answer, faces filled with sympathy at your words. already you could feel your heart drop to your stomach, quickly blinking away the tears. 

"chishiya hasn't been seen at all. no one knows where he is." tatta once again answered your question, a little confused on why everyone seemed upset about the missing individual. 

"i see." you mumbled quietly, trying to calm  
the racing of your heart and trying to get rid of the negative thoughts plaguing your mind.

"(name)..." usagi reached forward and you shook your head, stepping back. 

"he's alive. i know he is. he wouldn't..." 

he wouldn't let a game kill him.

kuina cut into the conversation, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder, "they're right. unfortunately the bastard is smart, and he always finds a way to keep himself alive." 

"yeah, chishiya should still be alive," arisu agreed, clearing his throat as he quickly changed the subject, "well, let's get you situated. there's some food and water from nearby stores and the little we could salvage."

you nodded, letting kuina walk you over to sit down. you stared down at your hands as you waited for her to return, chest tight and heart heavy. the last person who had seen chishiya was niragi, but that was it. no other sightings. and the fact that he really had been in the game, in the building the entire time, made your nervousness for his well-being grow. you had been hoping he had been able to leave, away from this ten of hearts. but that hadnt been the case, so now you didn't even know if he was okay or not. for all you knew he could be in the beach, amongst the burning bodies after being shot dead. 

but you wanted to believe that he was okay. that he had actually slipped away before anyone saw him, always the one preferring to be left alone. but it hurt, because who knew when the next time you would see him would be?

kuina finally came back, sitting down beside you as she handed you a plastic water bottle. you thanked her before opening it, the lukewarm liquid soothing your throat and it was now that you realized just how thirsty you were. and when you detached your lips from the lid you sighed, wiping away the excess water as you capped it and placed it down on the ground. 

"i thought chishiya had used you too..." you murmured quietly, talking about the fact that she hadn't been present when you were planning on leaving. 

she sighed, leaned back on the palm of her hands, "i was there, but i felt bad for arisu. so i went back."

"well, i'm glad you're safe." you forced a small smile, to which she returned. 

she tore her eyes away from your face, looking up towards the sky, "i dont know what happened between you and chishiya, but i'm guessing you found out?"

you hummed in response, staring at the asphalt instead, "ann told me."

"i'm really sorry." she muttered quietly, guilty in the fact that chishiya had been lying to you all this time, about something so major like arisu's life. 

"did you know as well?" you asked softly, voice small as you gave her a quick glance. 

she sighed, bowing her head down low as she turned to face you, ashamed, "he said to keep it a secret. that it was the only way to keep you safe."

you directed your attention back towards the ground, a bitter laugh escaping your lips, "of course he said that," you didn't want to dwell on the feeling for too long however, knowing that it was in the past and there was no point in worrying about it, "well, it can't be helped. at least now arisu is okay, usagi as well. my job here is done."

"are you going to go look for him?" she asked. 

another small laugh, "i'm afraid chishiya is upset with me, and he can be hard to find when he doesn't want to be found. so for now, i'll stay with you."

"there you go again." she spoke suddenly, tone weary like she had expected this. 

you sent her a confused glance, "what?"

"you made that choice because you were thinking about me, arisu and usagi right?" she asked, a knowing look sent your way. 

you shifted your gaze elsewhere, embarrassed that she had figured you out, "well...."

she sighed, "you should make more choices based on what you want. your own happiness, you know?"

you looked back and stared at her, remembering a similar interaction you had with chishiya. it had been here in the borderlands, where you had just come back from running errands for the executives. chishiya was there in the room, glaring at you because of how late it had gotten. 

"what took you so long?" he asked, staring you down as you reached forward and embraced him in your arms, hugging him tightly as you closed your eyes, exhausted from the long day. 

"i took extra assignments since one of the members on the board needed the free time to help out their friend." you mumbled, burying your face further into the fabric of his hoodie. 

"what does that have to do with you?" he asked, still irritated. 

you pushed yourself back up, lifting your hand to brush away his blonde strands, "well, they really needed it."

he let loose a frustrated breath, stopping your fingers from burying further into his hair as he once more glared at you, "god how are you so selfless? do you ever actually think about yourself once in a while?"

you pouted, putting your hand back down, "i dont-"

"did you actually want to help? or did you feel obligated to?" he cut you off, and his words stung as you thought it over. how your muscles had already been sore from your previous game and how you barely got any sleep that night. yet you still took on their assignments, thinking it had to be you even if you were already struggling to do your own. 

you looked away, "well, i was tired but-"

he cut you off once more, this time with a sigh as he reached for your head and brought you closer to his chest to shut you up, "it's not a bad thing to want something solely for your own happiness. there's nothing wrong with being selfish sometimes."

you smiled softly at the memory, missing when things were still like that between you and chishiya. it made your heart hurt, but you looked up at kuina, widening your smile, "being with you guys does make me happy."

she stared at you before nodding, "alright. sorry for scolding you, god i sound like a mom. but seriously, things'll be okay."

you hummed, "i know they will."

you sent her another soft smile, lightly bumping your shoulder with hers. you felt better when her body relaxed, face finally expressing that bright smile you adored. you turned back to look at the flames, still relentless as you laid your head on her shoulder, small sigh leaving your lips.

the flames slowly dimmed down the longer the night dragged on, the remaining players who had decided to stay talking quietly amongst themselves, even laughing occasionally. and the small warmth of kuina right beside you made you feel at ease, this small moment being as normal as things could get. 

slowly you reached your hand into your pocket, bringing out the lollipop chishiya had given you earlier that day. through the clear wrapper you noticed that the sweet had been cracked, small pieces that couldn't be fixed. you tightened your hand around it, bringing it close to your chest and over your heart. 

you'd find chishiya again, maybe not now, but eventually. because the time spent with him, the memories you cherished weren't for nothing. you didn't love him just to give up because of what he had done. because then what? you just left solely for the reason that things got hard? it was all about thriving through the hardships, learning to forgive and grow to become better people. and you knew, deep down he had good intentions, despite the way he had gone about them. and now that the game was over and you had done what you came here for, you'd make things right. 

you'd remind him that this heart, one who loved burnt pages and crushed candy, would find his once more.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and finally, we finish season one. this was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions but fear not! the book is not ending here. i will still be updating regularly, just please keep in mind the rest of the book will be taken from the manga. so if you haven’t read it already and don’t want spoilers, you can always come back after reading or after season two. 
> 
> also don’t be shy to comment! i love seeing reactions and it helps keep me motivated to write :D love you all and thank you for the support.


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